Geology of the Mount Taylor area

Abstract

We gratefully dedicate this special publication about the geology of the Mount Taylor area to the Pueblo of Laguna. The Pueblo has supported and participated in both geologic and environmental research in and around Mount Taylor and Jackpile Mine. Mount Taylor is an important cultural site to the Laguna community. In addition, the Pueblo has been impacted by mining activities associated with uranium extraction in the area, including at Jackpile Mine.The Pueblo of Laguna has been working with the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources' mapping program for over a decade. Pueblo approval to access Laguna lands has facilitated the production of six STATEMAP geologic quadrangle maps. These maps were used to compile a geologic map of the Mount Taylor volcano, one of the featured works of the 2021 field conference.The Laguna Environmental & Natural Resources Department (ENRD) also worked closely with several undergraduate and graduate students from New Mexico universities, whose studies focused on uranium mobility and the impact of mining activities at sites such as the Jackpile Mine in northern Laguna Pueblo. ENRD provided escorts, logistics, and site assistance to more than 10 university students and professionals who were participating in "Energize New Mexico," an NSF program dedicated to investigating energy industries that are not carbon emitters. This group of studies, which will also be featured during the 2021 field conference, was preceded by NMT soil and plant studies in the early 2000s and will continue with UNM and NMT health studies.This research direction is indicative of the change in perspective toward mining that Laguna Pueblo has seen in the last one hundred years, from the 1950s "uranium capital of the world" to the modern focus on identifying hazards, remediating sites, and mitigating health effects, a focus described in McLemore et al. (this volume). Mining provided jobs for thousands in McKinley and Cibola counties, including members of the Laguna tribe. Mining also affected the health of citizens within the local communities.The people of Laguna Pueblo have occupied the area since they migrated from Mesa Verde around 1300 A.D. or earlier. Their strong affinity with Mount Taylor, located only about 20 miles from the pueblo, is shared with many indigenous cultures, serving as a spiritual site and for hunting, grazing, farming, and collecting resources. Laguna Pueblo supported what became the successful 2008 designation of Mount Taylor as a Traditional Cultural Property, when the mountain became eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.Thanks to the Pueblo of Laguna for its dedication to this landscape and for their partnerships with the many groups working in the area.