Indigenous leaders say that contractors building the US-Mexico border wall are desecrating sacred Native American sites at an unprecedented pace, more than 170 years after the international boundary split tribal territories.
Sacred Mountain Under Attack
Norma Meza Calles, a Kumeyaay Nation tribal leader, describes Kuuchamaa Mountain as a healer and psychologist for her people. But US federal contractors have been blasting and bulldozing the mountain, which straddles both countries, to make way for new wall sections. “We feel that in our DNA,” said Emily Burgueno, a California Kumeyaay member, adding that “body” and “land” are the same word in their language.
Ancient Geoglyph Destroyed
In Arizona, contractors carved through a 1,000-year-old fish-shaped geoglyph called “Las Playas Intaglio,” etched into a lava field. Tohono O’odham Chairman Verlon Jose called it “a devastating and entirely avoidable loss.” US Customs and Border Protection said a contractor “inadvertently disturbed” the site but vowed to protect the remainder.
Widespread Desecration
Similar incidents have occurred on Mount Cristo Rey in New Mexico, where blasts were set off at a pilgrimage site, and in Texas, where ranchers fear for pictographs and petroglyphs on their land. The Trump administration has waived cultural and environmental laws, accelerating construction even as illegal crossings plummet.
Tribal Opposition
Tribes have met with officials and pursued legal action. Desecrating a sacred Native American site on federal or tribal land is a felony, but contractors continue. “This is a great example of the federal government not following federal laws,” said Burgueno.
Despite the destruction, leaders remain defiant. “We'll see how far they go. Destiny is destiny. But the fight is not over,” said Meza Calles.
