During Committee Hearing, Rep. Grijalva Presses Interior Secretary Burgum on Destruction of Sacred Site, Proposed Cuts to Tribal Colleges

Washington, D.C. — Representative Adelita S. Grijalva questioned Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum during a House Natural Resources Committee hearing examining the President’s proposed FY27 budget request for the Department of the Interior. 

During the hearing, Rep. Grijalva pressed Secretary Burgum on the federal government’s trust responsibility to Tribal Nations, asking specifically about the recent destruction of a sacred Indigenous cultural site along the U.S.-Mexico border. She asked for the Secretary’s commitment that this would not happen again at a separate sacred site, Quitobaquito Springs, which was negatively impacted during the construction of the first border wall.  

Additionally, she questioned the administration’s proposed elimination of dedicated funding for Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), which includes Tohono O’odham Community College. A transcript of her line of questioning is included, in part, below. 

You can view video from the hearing here.

Rep Grijalva: Recent reporting showed that construction related to the administration’s second border wall project damaged a roughly 1,000-year-old Indigenous archaeological site in Arizona’s Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. The site — known as the Las Playas Intaglio — is culturally significant to the Tohono O’odham Nation, and portions of it were reportedly bulldozed during construction activities. 

The destruction of the Intaglio is not just about losing a piece of history — it’s about losing a sacred connection to the land that helped guide generations of O’odham people.

Did the DOI conduct consultation with the Tohono O’odham Nation before construction activities moved forward in that area? Yes or no?

Secretary Burgum: This is a super unfortunate thing that happened… The contractor was supposed to start at the other end… There were a series of mistakes that happened along the way. We’ve delivered direct apologies.  

Rep Grijalva: Many are concerned that Quitobaquito Springs could be next as construction of the secondary border wall moves closer. 

Will you commit that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service will avoid Quitobaquito Springs, minimize impacts from groundwater pumping within five miles of the site, and closely monitor water levels? 

Secretary Burgum: That is very specific thing that I won’t jump ahead and commit to without fully understanding all the complexities.

Rep Grijalva:  For the second year in a row now, your budget eliminates dedicated funding for Tribal Colleges and Universities that serve Native students and are often the primary access point to higher education in rural tribal communities.  I want to ground this in one example from my District.  

Thurman Lynch is a Diné student at Tohono O’odham Community College. After overcoming addiction and financial hardship, he enrolled in the college and is now pursuing a biology degree with the goal of becoming a veterinarian. That opportunity exists because the college provides affordable tuition, housing support, and wraparound services that make higher education possible for students who would otherwise be shut out.  

Did the Department conduct an analysis of the economic harm these cuts would have on rural and tribal communities before proposing them?  

Secretary Burgum: The answer to that is no.