The National Trust of Historic Preservation has placed the Greater Chaco Cultural Landscape on this year’s list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. The nomination came from the All Pueblo Council of Governors, which supports the preservation and cultural significance of the landscape in the face of increasing threats.
On the lands of Santa Ana Pueblo, Council members highlighted their ancestral ties to the archaeological and cultural site. Chaco features over 600 rooms, built 1,200 years ago with precise geometric masonry, and crafted without the use of metal tools.
This endangered listing comes after the Bureau of Land Management tried last year to revoke or modify a public order Public Land Order No. 7923, that currently safeguards 336,404 acres of federal land from new oil and gas leasing for 20 years.
Gov. Charles Riley (Acoma) said there’s a cultural responsibility to Chaco Canyon.
“When we speak of Chaco, we are not merely speaking of ruins, we are speaking of the spirits of our ancestors, who are still present, still teaching, and still carrying and asking us to carry forward, what they entrusted to us,” he said.
Riley said the Pueblo of Acoma is not opposed to development.
“We are opposed to development that proceeds without meaningful consultation, without honest environmental review, and without regard for places that are irreplaceable,” he said.
This year’s listing is the second time in 15 years that Chaco has been placed on the list. This is the first year that the 11 sites nominated will receive a one-time grant of $25,000 from the National Trust to help with conservation efforts.
The council is asking the U.S. Department of Interior to stop the process of dismantling the public land order and make the current 10-mile buffer around Chaco permanent. They’re also asking members of the public to contact their Congress members in support.
A number of Pueblo governors said they have reached out to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum through letters and invitations to visit Chaco, but he has not responded.
Support for this coverage comes from the Thornburg Foundation.
