LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) – Jemez Pueblo is challenging a federal judge's dismissal of a claim it filed to the Valles Caldera National Preserve in northern New Mexico.

Pueblo Gov. Vincent Toya says the tribe must fight to protect sacred land. The tribe filed a lawsuit last year seeking the return of 89,000 acres.

A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying the federal government did not consent to being sued.

The pueblo's appeal was filed in the 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

The preserve is home to vast grasslands, the remnants of one of North America's few super volcanoes, and one of New Mexico's most famous elk herds. The board of trustees has said it will work with the pueblo to ensure the cultural history, spiritual significance and the landscape are preserved.