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November 16, 2021

Biden Proposes Drilling Ban Near Sacred Indigenous Sites in Chaco Canyon
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President Biden on Monday proposed a 20-year ban on oil and gas drilling
in and around Chaco Canyon, a site of ancestral significance to
Indigenous people. The valley in the high desert of northwest New Mexico
was at the center of Chacoan culture for about 400 years beginning in
the 9th century.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who this year became the first-ever
Native American U.S. cabinet secretary, praised the drilling ban. She
added, "Now is the time to consider more enduring protections for the
living landscape that is Chaco, so that we can pass on this rich
cultural legacy to future generations." Deb Haaland previously served as
a Democratic congressmember representing New Mexico. 


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