Supporting Tribal Sovereignty, Stewardship, and Opportunity
Across the Four Corners region and New Mexico, Tribal Nations have long balanced stewardship of the land with the responsibility to create opportunity for future generations.
For many Tribal communities, responsible oil and natural gas development supports jobs, infrastructure, education, healthcare, housing, and other essential services — while helping families remain connected to their communities and ancestral lands.
What energy development supports
Every Tribal Nation has its own priorities, values, and vision for the future. Decisions about natural resources should be guided by Tribal sovereignty and respect for the communities directly impacted by those decisions.
Family-sustaining jobs
Steady, good-paying work that lets families build a future close to home.
Revenue for Tribal governments
Funding for community services, public safety, and long-term priorities set by Tribal leadership.
Income for members & allottees
Royalties and earnings for Tribal members, allottees, and local businesses across the region.
Infrastructure & development
Roads, housing, and economic development projects that strengthen communities.
Long-term investments
Lasting support for education, healthcare, and cultural preservation for future generations.
Across New Mexico, oil and natural gas development also generates billions of dollars each year for public schools, roads, healthcare, and public safety — benefiting communities across the state.
Tribal Perspectives
Our connection to the land is central to who we are. Responsible energy development has helped strengthen our communities while allowing us to maintain local control over decisions that affect our future.
TERA formalizes what the Tribe has proven for generations—that we have the expertise and the governance systems to manage our resources responsibly while advancing the well-being of our Tribal Members and safeguarding our land, water, and culture.
The Jicarilla Apache Nation has demonstrated that responsible resource development and environmental stewardship can go hand in hand—creating opportunities for our people while supporting essential services, infrastructure, and long-term community priorities.
For many Diné families, energy development is part of how families provide for their children, maintain their homes, and build a future on the land our ancestors entrusted to us—and decisions about Navajo resources should be made by Navajo people.
Stewardship and opportunity, together
Tribal communities should never be forced to choose between environmental stewardship and economic opportunity.
Responsible energy development today includes advanced technologies, emissions reduction efforts, environmental safeguards, and ongoing monitoring designed to protect air, land, and water resources. Many tribal communities continue to demonstrate that stewardship and development can work together when decisions are guided by local values and priorities.
The future of Tribal communities should be determined by Tribal communities.
From Navajo allottees in the San Juan Basin, to Jicarilla Apache energy enterprises, to Nations investing resource revenues in future generations — the voices of Tribal citizens deserve a central role in conversations about energy, economic opportunity, and community development.
- The Southern Ute Indian Tribe became the first Nation in the country to sign a Tribal Energy Resource Agreement (2026), taking direct authority over energy decisions on its lands.
- The Jicarilla Apache Nation finances, operates, and manages energy development through its own Tribally owned enterprise.
- Thousands of Navajo allottees in the San Juan Basin rely on energy revenue as a primary source of household income.
From Our Blog
Recent stories on Tribal communities and responsible energy development in New Mexico.
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