MOUNT TAYLOR AS CULTURAL PROPERTY

This Senate Memorial (SM 11) affirms New Mexico's commitment to protecting Mount Taylor as a traditional cultural property sacred to Indigenous nations, including the Pueblos of Acoma and Laguna, Hopi Tribe, and Navajo Nation. It opposes uranium mining projects that threaten the mountain’s cultural integrity and water sources, specifically citing risks to the San Andres-Glorieta aquifer. The resolution urges state and federal agencies to deny mining permits within Mount Taylor’s designated cultural boundaries and calls for federal reform of the 1872 Mining Act to prioritize tribal consultation. As a non-binding memorial, it expresses legislative position but does not alter existing laws.