Native American Tribes Pressure Feds On Oil, Gas Drilling

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Leaders from the nation's largest Native American reservation and pueblos throughout New Mexico are putting more pressure on federal land managers to curb oil and gas development in the northwest corner of the state. The Navajo Nation has sent a letter to the Bureau of Land Management seeking a moratorium on drilling and lease sales across a wide swath of land surrounding Chaco Culture National Historic Park. The All Pueblo Council of Governors also has raised concerns, and Democratic lawmakers have introduced memorials calling for more consultation among tribes and the federal government. The pressure comes as environmental groups look to build support for their years-long campaign aimed at fossil fuel development in the Four Corners region, from coal mines and coal-fired power plants to proposed pipelines and the recent uptick in oil and gas drilling in the San Juan Basin. While the campaign has focused in years passed on pollution concerns, the tribes' cultural ties to Chaco and the archaeological sites that are scattered across the northwestern quadrant of the state have intensified the debate, drawing the attention of even some congressional representatives. A board member of the Navajo Nation's association of medicine men has spoken out against drilling at tribal council committee meetings, and Navajo President Russell Begaye wrote in his letter to federal officials earlier this month that increased drilling is interrupting the daily lives of his people and threatening sacred sites. "We are descendants from the Chaco Canyon area.Read more on NewsOK.com