Efforts to Protect Mount Taylor Receive Prestigious National Preservation Award

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Tso Dzil, Mount Taylor

BUFFALO, NEW YORK - Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly, Acoma Governor Randall Vicente, Tesuque Governor Mark Mitchell, and former New Mexico Historic Preservation Officer Katherine Slick were recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation last week for legislative efforts to protect Mount Taylor from harmful development.

"We are humbled to receive this on behalf of the Navajo Nation and our partners," said Navajo President Shelly.

“I also stand here today unified with all tribes. As Native people, protection of our sacred places is key to preserving who we are at our very core.”

The John H. Chafee Trustees Award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Policy was one of 23 awards presented by the National Trust for Historic Preservation during its 2011 National Preservation Conference in Buffalo.

"Recognition by the National Trust for Historic Preservation of our collective efforts to protect and defend New Mexico's Cultural Properties Act is empowering," said Acoma Governor Vicente. "We hope to inspire others to stand with us to protect cultural and natural resources so important to our state and Tribal communities."

During the New Mexico Legislative Session in January 2011, the uranium mining industry and its proponents attempted to repeal New Mexico's 42-year-old Cultural Properties Act, one of the strongest such laws in the nation, to gain uranium mining rights to Mount Taylor, a sacred mountain to the Navajo people and several area tribes, including the Hopi Tribe and Pueblos of Zuni, Laguna, Tesuque, and Acoma.

"Before the legislative session, several tribes, volunteers, and organizations, including the Pueblos of Acoma, Tesuque, and Laguna, and the Navajo Nation, formed a coalition known as Defenders of New Mexico Heritage to mount a plan and strategy to keep the existing law intact," said President Shelly. "Through collaboration and partnerships, tribes were able to fend off attempts that would harm our sacred mountain, Tso Dzil, Mount Taylor."

In 2009, the New Mexico Cultural Properties Review Committee designated Mount Taylor as a Traditional Cultural Property, which provides a layer of protection by requiring adverse development within the Traditional Cultural Property be reviewed by the New Mexico Historic Preservation Office.

Tribal Officials Receive Award

"The success of these efforts required careful planning and dedication from all stakeholders, including the Pueblos and Tribes," said President Shelly. "Several individuals should be commended, including Acoma Historic Preservation Office Director Theresa Pasqual, Navajo Historic Preservation staff Tony Joe, Kelly Francis, and Tim Begay, former Navajo Historic Preservation Department staff Steven Begay, Pueblo of Laguna member June Lorenzo, Acoma Lobbyist Conroy Chino, Attorneys for Acoma Peter Chestnut and Ann Rodgers, and Navajo Nation Lobbyist Patti Williams."

The award presented is named in honor of John H. Chafee former governor of Rhode Island, Secretary of the Navy, a former US Senator and a dedicated champion of preservation who contributed significantly to advancing public policy on preservation issues.

posted October 28, 2011 8:10 am edt