Sacred Native American site in Arizona blasted for border wall construction – By Rafael Carranza (Arizona Republic) / Feb 9 2020
TUCSON, Ariz. – The contractor that is building President Donald Trump’s border wall in southwestern Arizona began blasting this week through a site that the Native American O’odham people consider sacred to make way for newer, taller barriers.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed the contractor started blasting through the site called Monument Hill at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument west of Lukeville “in preparation for new border wall system construction within the Roosevelt Reservation.”
The Roosevelt Reservation is a 60-foot-wide swath of federally owned land along the border in Arizona.
Since construction began in August, crews have been clearing that 60-foot swath – relocating certain plants, including the state’s iconic saguaros, to other parts of the national park.
Monument Hill is west of the Lukeville border crossing and lies partly within the 60-foot reservation. The other portion is on the Mexican side of the border.
“The controlled blasting is targeted and will continue intermittently for the rest of the month,” the border agency said in a statement. “U.S. Customs and Border Protection will continue to have an environmental monitor present during these activities as well as on-going clearing activities.”
Continue to article: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/02/07/tohono-oodham-sacred-site-monument-hill-blasted-border-wall/4698174002/
