On April 28, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Mount Taylor, near Grants, New Mexico, to its 2009 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. This annual list highlights important examples of the nation’s cultural and natural heritage that are at risk of destruction or irreparable damage.

Located midway between Albuquerque and Gallup, Mount Taylor, at nearly 12,000 feet, is a startlingly beautiful, sacred place. Visible from 100 miles away, the mountain has long been a pilgrimage site for 30 Native American tribes, with special significance for the Acoma and Navajo people. Centuries before the mountain was named for President Zachary Taylor, it was known to the Acoma as Kaweshtima, or “place of snow.” Mount Taylor is rooted in Acoma history and tradition and is an intimate part of the tribe’s cultural identity. It is one of the four sacred mountains encircling the Navajo Nation. Mount Taylor is still used for a variety of cultural practices and holds value for many tribes. Currently, the mountain is under threat from exploration for uranium. Mining and milling in the Grants area has already left a toxic, radioactive legacy, and expanded uranium mining would have a devastating impact on cherished cultural resources, including pilgrimage trails, shrines and archaeological sites.

To read more about Mount Taylor, click here.