The Navajo Nation is offering its support for land allotment owners impacted by the U.S. Interior Department’s recent ban on oil and gas drilling on lands within a swath of New Mexico’s Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
The Navajo Nation has opposed the land withdrawal, saying it has devastating impacts on those in the area.
Tribal officials also say they didn’t receive sufficient consultation ahead of the decision and that Interior Secretary Deb Haaland never met with those who the withdrawal would impact.
Resources and Development Committee members doubled down on their stance during a recent meeting.
They plan to continue working with state legislators to nullify the land withdrawal.