Tohono O’odham Nation says sacred site was destroyed during border wall construction
Tribal leaders say identified cultural site in wildlife refuge was damaged by federal contractor
The Tohono O’odham Nation said a sacred cultural site in the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge was destroyed during construction of the secondary federal border wall, according to a public statement released April 30 by the Office of the Chairman and Vice Chairwoman. The nation said it was notified April 28 that a Department of Homeland Security contractor damaged the site, which had previously been identified by a cultural protection monitor as an area to avoid.
According to the statement, Chairman Verlon Jose and other tribal leaders planned to visit the site to assess the damage. The nation said the site is located about 60 miles west of the reservation on traditional Tohono O’odham lands. Jose called the destruction “a devastating and entirely avoidable loss” and said tribal leaders have been meeting with senior Department of Homeland Security officials to demand stronger protections for sacred sites along the U.S.-Mexico border.
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