HM 37 — MOUNT TAYLOR AS CULTURAL PROPERTY

HOUSE MEMORIAL 37 57TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEWMEXICO - FIRST SESSION 2025 INTRODUCED BY Michelle Paulene Abeyta 6 8 10 A MEMORIAL AFFIRMING THE STATE'S COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING AND PRESERVING MOUNT TAYLOR AS A TRADITIONAL CULTURAL PROPERTY AND OPPOSING URANIUM MINING PROJECTS THAT THREATEN MOUNT TAYLOR'S CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY.

167 WHEREAS, Mount Taylor, known to indigenous people by e t 17 several traditional names, stands as a sacred landmark central w l n d 18 to the spiritual, cultural and historical identity of the = = 19 a l region's Indian nations, tribes and pueblos;

and i a e r 20 WHEREAS, in 2009, following significant advocacy by the a t m m 21 Pueblos of Acoma, Laguna and Zuni, the Hopi Tribe and the d r e 22 Navajo Nation, Mount Taylor was formally nominated and c e s k 23 designated as a traditional cultural property on the New Mexico e a n b 24 register of cultural properties;

and u [ WHEREAS, the nomination of Mount Taylor as a traditional .231014.1 cultural property recognized its profound cultural significance, including its role in origin stories, traditional practices and ceremonies and as a place of prayer and pilgrimage for indigenous peoples;

and HM 37 Page 1 WHEREAS, proposed uranium mining projects pose significant threats to Mount Taylor and the surrounding environment by physically degrading the landscape and cultural sites with destructive mining operations;

and WHEREAS, proposed uranium mining may deplete and contaminate the San Andres-Glorieta aquifer and related aquifers and springs, which serve as primary water sources for the Pueblos of Acoma and Laguna and the surrounding e t 17 communities, posing significant risks to water security and w l n d 18 public health;

and = = 19 a l WHEREAS, uranium mining operations create environmental i a e r 20 hazards through the transport and storage of uranium ore, a t m m 21 increasing the risk of contamination of land, air and water d r e 22 resources and exacerbating the health threats already faced by c e s k 23 Indian and non-Indian communities alike;

and e a n b 24 WHEREAS, the ongoing legacy of uranium mining in New u [ Mexico has resulted in long-term environmental contamination, .231014.1 - 2 - such as poisoned aquifers and negative health impacts on Indian nations, tribes and pueblos and local communities, highlighting the need for stronger ecological protections for Mount Taylor and all of the state's natural resources;

HM 37 Page 2 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the house of representatives affirm its commitment to protecting Mount Taylor and oppose any uranium mining projects that threaten its traditional cultural property designation, environmental integrity and sacred status;

and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the house of representatives urge federal and state agencies, including the United States e t 17 forest service and the mining and minerals division of the w l n d 18 energy, minerals and natural resources department, to deny = = 19 a l permits or authorizations for uranium mining projects within i a e r 20 the Mount Taylor traditional cultural property boundaries;

and a t m m 21 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the house of representatives d r e 22 call upon the United States congress to reform the federal c e s k 23 General Mining Act of 1872 to prioritize the protection of e a n b 24 sacred cultural sites and to require meaningful tribal u [ consultation in decisions that impact tribal resources;

and .231014.1 - 3 - BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the United States secretary of the interior, the United States secretary of agriculture, the New Mexico congressional delegation, the governor, the commissioner of public lands, the department of environment and the energy, minerals and natural resources department.

-HM 437 -Page 93 1125 13 15 e t 17 w l n d 18 = = 19 a l i a e r 20 a t m m 21 d r e 22 c e s k 23 e a n b 24 u [ .231014.1