[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 196 (Thursday, November 20, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H4829]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      CHACO CANYON IS NOT FOR SALE

  (Ms. Stansbury of New Mexico was recognized to address the House for 
5 minutes.)
  Ms. STANSBURY. Madam Speaker, Chaco Canyon is sacred ground. It is 
the ancestral homeland and living landscape to both Pueblo and Dine 
people. It is a World Heritage Site, a place of ancient ruins, kivas, 
and sacred lands as far as the eye can see. It is a place that is a 
mere 50 miles south of the San Juan River where I was born.
  I rise today in solidarity with Tribal leaders from across New Mexico 
to say that it is time to protect Chaco Canyon and these sacred lands. 
Before our very eyes, the Trump administration is trying to open these 
sacred lands to oil and gas drilling that would irrevocably destroy 
them.
  Can my colleagues imagine? This is one of the most sacred sites, not 
just in New Mexico but in North America. It is a place that Secretary 
Deb Haaland worked to set aside in 2023 and a place which the New 
Mexico delegation is seeking to permanently protect.
  As Pueblo leaders tell us, Chaco holds the footprints of our 
ancestors. Countless generations have carried forward their teachings 
and traditions. As Navajo leaders have said, it is a landscape deeply 
embedded in our way of life and which protects the living community, 
youth, elders, and our culture.
  Even as Tribal leaders are saying no, this administration is forging 
ahead to open these lands to desecration of sites that could never be 
recovered.
  Madam Speaker, we call on this administration to stop. These sites 
are sacred. We call on the American people to join us in this fight. We 
must protect Chaco Canyon, and Chaco Canyon is not for sale.

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