Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 2181, the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act.

Ancient civilizations called the area around Chaco Canyon home thousands of years before the earliest settlers of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. In fact, Native American people have occupied this region continuously since 10,000 BC, creating massive public and ceremonial buildings, a complex system of roads for trade, and beautiful crafts and artwork.

Today, there are more than 4,000 archeological sites, millions of artifacts, and countless sacred cultural resources that provide modern- day Native people a direct link to their ancestors who lived in the area thousands of years ago.

Reckless oil and gas development could destroy the fragile archeological and cultural resources in the area, including ones that have not yet been discovered or cataloged. In fact, there has never been a comprehensive Native-led study of the cultural resources in the Chaco region.

It is fitting that we are talking about protecting Chaco Canyon in New Mexico and the Grand Canyon in Arizona on the same day. Both are UNESCO World Heritage sites, and both are national treasures needlessly threatened by industry to pad their bottom line.

That is why I strongly support the Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act debated earlier and why I urge my colleagues to support this bill and the 10-mile protection zone around Chaco Canyon's archeological resources and the present-day communities that it creates.

This is sacred ground that we have an obligation to protect for future generations to enjoy and learn about. We must pass this bill to preserve this place to teach our children and our children's children about the rich history and culture of the Native people who lived in the American Southwest.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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