Bill
HM 37
HM 37 designates Mount Taylor as a traditional cultural property and urges federal and state action to oppose uranium mining, protecting sacred sites and water resources.
Bill Type: Memorial (House Memorial)
Status: Signed into effect on 2025-04-08
Introduced: February 21, 2025
Committee: Government, Elections and Indian Affairs
Key dates:
- 2025-02-21: Introduced and referred to the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee
- 2025-02-28: Committee report (DO PASS) adopted
- 2025-03-11: Passed the House
- 2025-04-08: Signed into effect
Purpose and intent
- HM 37 affirms the State of New Mexico’s commitment to protecting Mount Taylor as a traditional cultural property and opposes uranium mining projects that threaten its cultural, environmental, and sacred status.
- It urges action at both state and federal levels to prevent activities that could damage Mount Taylor and its associated water resources and cultural practices.
Key provisions and changes
- Recognition and protection: Reaffirms Mount Taylor as a traditional cultural property central to the spiritual, cultural, and historical identity of regional Indigenous nations, tribes, and pueblos.
- Opposition to uranium mining: Opposes proposed uranium mining projects within Mount Taylor’s traditional cultural property boundaries due to risks to the landscape, cultural sites, and surrounding environment.
- Denial of permits: Urges federal and state agencies (including the U.S. Forest Service and NM Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department) to deny permits or authorizations for uranium mining within Mount Taylor.
- Federal reforms: Calls on the U.S. Congress to reform the General Mining Act of 1872 to prioritize protection of sacred cultural sites and require meaningful tribal consultation in decisions affecting tribal resources.
- Communications and outreach: Requires copies of the memorial to be sent to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, NM congressional delegation, the governor, and relevant state agencies (public lands, environment, and energy/minerals resources).
Background and context
- Mount Taylor, known by multiple Indigenous names, holds significance for origin stories, ceremonies, and prayer for several Indigenous communities.
- In 2009, Mount Taylor was designated as a traditional cultural property on the New Mexico Register of Cultural Properties following advocacy by the Acoma, Laguna, Zuni Pueblos, Hopi Tribe, and Navajo Nation.
- A 2014 New Mexico Supreme Court decision affirmed the validity of Mount Taylor’s traditional cultural property designation.
- The memorial emphasizes historical mining impacts in New Mexico and the associated health and environmental concerns, particularly regarding water resources like the San Andres-Glorieta aquifer.
Who would be affected
- Indigenous nations, tribes, and pueblos with cultural ties to Mount Taylor (e.g., Acoma, Laguna, Zuni; Hopi; Navajo Nation)
- Residents and communities relying on local water resources
- Federal agencies (Forest Service, Department of Interior, Department of Agriculture) and state agencies (Energy, Minerals, NRD; Environment; Public Lands)
- The NM Congressional delegation and state leadership
Impact and significance
- HM 37 is a symbolic, non-binding memorial expressing legislative intent rather than creating enforceable law.
- It seeks to influence policymaking by framing Mount Taylor as a sacred cultural property deserving protection and by urging reforms to federal mining law and permitting decisions.
- May contribute to shaping public discourse, tribal consultation practices, and future policy considerations related to sacred sites and mining.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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