For decades, the Pueblo of Jemez has fought to reclaim land in New Mexico that it says was unjustly taken by the U.S. government.
This long-running battle reached a resolution at the end of 2024, when the federal government agreed to a settlement that recognizes the Pueblo's right to occupy and use over 3,000 acres of land, including Banco Bonito, for cultural, religious, and traditional purposes, as Inside Climate News reported.
The legal battle began in 2012, when the Pueblo of Jemez filed a lawsuit over ownership of land in the Valles Caldera National Preserve. Initially, the tribe sought to reclaim the entire 88,900-acre preserve, but over time they focused legal efforts on four specific areas, including Banco Bonito, a 3,035-acre tract that's been central to the Pueblo's history and identity for centuries.
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Definitely 👍 The land was privately owned until the U.S. government bought it in 2000, but the Pueblo argues that they were never consulted about its transfer and never gave up their claim to it. In their complaint, the Pueblo asserted that their connection to the land was never "extinguished" by conquest or abandonment and that the land remains vital to their cultural and spiritual practices.
"It is where we farmed and lived for hundreds of years," Jemez Pueblo Governor Peter Madalena told Inside Climate News. "Securing our aboriginal lands is crucial to the survival of our pueblo, and our traditions and culture."
In October 2024, a settlement was reached, officially granting the Pueblo of Jemez the right to occupy and use Banco Bonito for cultural, traditional, and religious purposes. Under the settlement, the National Park Service will continue to manage the land, but the Pueblo's right to access it for their practices is now officially recognized. The land will remain open to the public, but this agreement ensures the Pueblo will have the necessary access to maintain their traditions.
"That agreement will ensure that the pueblo can return to Banco Bonito to practice the songs, dances, and other uses that have coexisted with this place long before it was ever called the United States," said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna.
This settlement also highlights the Biden administration's efforts at the end of his presidency to work collaboratively with Indigenous tribes to resolve land rights issues and improve the management of public lands.
"When I became secretary, this was the kind of moment I hoped for — federal leaders and tribal nations standing together in collaborative management of this unmatched landscape," Haaland said.
With the legal challenges behind them, the Pueblo can now return to Banco Bonito with confidence their ancestral rights are recognized, ensuring the land's preservation for future generations.
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