Sacred Sites

A new poll shows strong support for establishing a permanent ban on uranium mining on a million acres surrounding Grand Canyon National Park. A coalition of tribes, environmental groups and elected officials for years have pushed for the ban to protect the area’s water and Indigenous lands.

A federal appeals court has ruled that a land exchange paving the way for one of the nation’s largest copper mines can move forward. Oak Flat in central Arizona is a sacred site to the San Carlos Apache Tribe, who’ve opposed the project for years.

A national conservation group has acquired a sprawling ranch near a New Mexico mountain peak held sacred by Native American tribes.

A group of Hopi runners has concluded their journey from the Hopi Mesas to Phoenix, drawing attention to threats facing sacred sites in the Grand Canyon, specifically the Sípáapu on the Little Colorado River.

Tribal leaders are meeting with land managers as the Biden administration considers prohibiting new oil and gas development on nearly 550 square miles of federal land in northwestern New Mexico near Chaco Culture National Historical Park.

The U.S. government, environmentalists and an energy company have reached a settlement over contested oil and gas leases in an area in New Mexico held sacred by Native American tribes. The agreement approved by a federal judge earlier this week would pause drilling on a few dozen parcels near Chaco Culture National Historical Park while federal land managers conduct an environmental review and consult further with tribes.

Land managers have scheduled two more public meetings and extended the comment period on a proposal that would prohibit oil and gas development on federal land surrounding a Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico that Indigenous communities consider culturally significant.

A federal appeals court has ruled against the Havasupai Tribe and environmental groups in their bid to keep a uranium mine south of the Grand Canyon from operating.

The Navajo Nation Council is opposing a Biden administration plan to ban new oil and gas drilling within 10 miles of Chaco Culture National Historical Park for 20 years. Lawmakers say it could have negative economic effects on tribal communities within the area.

The Biden administration has proposed banning new oil and gas leases surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico. It follows years of efforts by Southwestern tribes to protect the culturally sensitive area.