U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland was supposed visit Chaco Culture National Historical Park. But Sunday's plans were derailed when protesters blocked the entrance to the northwestern New Mexico site. The event was meant to celebrate her recent decision to enshrine for the next 20 years what had been an informal buffer around the park, protecting archaeological and culturally significant sites from future oil and gas development and mining. The decision came after more than a year of public meetings and consultation sessions with New Mexico pueblos and other Native American leaders. But Navajo leaders say Haaland and the Biden administration disrespected efforts to reach a compromise that called for a smaller buffer that would protect the tribe’s financial interests.
