Native America Calling: Oil drilling vs cultural preservation at Chaco Canyon

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Native America Calling: Oil drilling vs cultural preservation at Chaco Canyon

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

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Oil drilling vs cultural preservation at Chaco Canyon

The Trump administration is moving to undo a 20-year ban on oil and gas drilling near Chaco Canyon, a place of major cultural significance to Pueblo tribes in the Southwest.

The threat of new oil leases on nearly 340,000 acres of public land surrounding Chaco Canyon has put the site on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of America’s Most Endangered Spaces. It’s the second time on the same list for the land that is already a protected National Historic Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The energy development moratorium was instituted in 2023 by then-Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who is a citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna, one of many tribes with ties to Chaco. Tune in to hear about the options ahead for the land and the cultural significance it holds.

Fajada Butte at Chaco Culture National Historic Park in New Mexico. Photo: Claire Ames

Guests on Native America Calling

Charles Riley, governor of Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico

Brian Vallo (Acoma Pueblo), chairman of the Chaco Heritage Tribal Association, an inter-tribal organization, and former governor of Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico

Mario Atencio (Diné), Navajo allotment stakeholder in New Mexico