Rep. Grijalva Reacts to Discovery of Ancestral Remains at Organ Pipe Amid Border Wall Construction

Rep. Grijalva is preparing legislation to repeal DHS’ waiver authority and void existing waivers that bypass protections for Tribal sovereignty, sacred sites, and ancestral lands.

Tucson, Arizona — Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva released the below statement following reports about the discovery of Native American ancestral remains at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona, where border wall contractors have bulldozed through ancestral lands, disturbed native vegetation and unearthed human remains.

“This is an outrage. For months, Tribal leaders and elders have warned DHS about the devastating consequences of bulldozing through their ancestral lands, beginning with the destruction of the Las Playas Intaglio. For months, those warnings have fallen on deaf ears. Now, we are seeing exactly what they feared: sacred sites destroyed and burial grounds desecrated.

This is precisely why we must end DHS’ sweeping authority to waive laws designed to protect Tribal sovereignty, sacred sites, and environmentally sensitive lands. I will be introducing legislation to repeal that authority and void existing waivers that have allowed DHS to ignore these protections and carelessly bulldoze through much of our southern border.”

The discovery is the latest in a series of devastating impacts to culturally and historically significant sites along the southern border. It comes after the destruction of the Las Playas Intaglio, a sacred cultural site dating back at least 6,500 years. O’odham elders are also worried about damage to Quitobaquito Springs, an ecologically and culturally significant site.

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