Indigenous leaders oppose border wall construction near sacred sites

Indigenous leaders from tribes along the U.S.-Mexico border said ongoing border wall construction is damaging sacred sites and cultural areas, according to the Associated Press. Kumeyaay leaders said federal contractors have blasted and bulldozed parts of Kuuchamaa Mountain, a sacred site that spans California and Baja California, during construction of new wall segments. Tribal leaders also raised concerns about damage to cultural and archaeological sites in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. 

The Associated Press reports that the Department of Homeland Security waived cultural and environmental laws to accelerate border wall construction projects this year. The Tohono O’odham Nation said contractors damaged a 1,000-year-old geoglyph site in Arizona despite prior warnings from tribal leaders. U.S. Customs and Border Protection was quoted in a statement as saying that the site was “inadvertently disturbed” and that the agency is working to minimize impacts on cultural and natural resources during construction.