Full Breakdown
Ancient Tohono O'odham Geoglyph Damaged Amid Arizona Border Wall Expansion
5/12/2026, 9:09:05 PM
Damage to a 1,000-Year-Old Intaglio During Secondary Wall Construction
In April 2026, contractors building a secondary border wall parallel to the barrier in the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge removed a 50-foot strip of earth from the head of a 300-foot fish-shaped intaglio, a geoglyph dated to about 1,000 years old. The site lies only feet from the Arizona-Mexico border on Tohono O'odham Nation land.
Legal Waivers and Prior Construction on Tribal Lands
In 2025 the Department of Homeland Security waived multiple environmental and cultural-resource protections to speed wall construction. Earlier phases crossed a sacred burial ground, leading to a compromise that reduced bollard depth. The present waiver permits the secondary wall to proceed without further tribal consultation. The waiver cited expedited construction as justification, despite tribal opposition.
Key Parties Involved
Key parties are Tribal Chairman Verlon Jose (Tohono O'odham Nation), Russ McSpadden (Center for Biological Diversity), U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokespersons, and Samuel Fayuant of the Nation’s Cultural Affairs Office. The Center released photographs documenting the damage.
Cultural Landscape and Associated Archaeological Finds
The intaglio lies within a cultural landscape that includes the La Ciénega site near Nogales, which contains 40 graves, 28 cremation vessels with shell ornaments, and about 60 ancient dwellings linking Trincheras and Hohokam cultures—evidence of millennial habitation.
Agency Statements on Damage and Protection
CBP confirmed a contractor disturbed the intaglio “nearly two weeks ago” and said the remaining portion will be protected, but offered no damage estimate. A DHS spokesperson said the waiver was required for national-security objectives.
Tribal Criticism and Calls for Safeguards
Verlon Jose stressed the site embodies “memory, identity, and history,” urging stronger federal safeguards. The tribe demanded an end to construction that threatens cultural resources and called for the return and reburial of any remaining artifacts per tribal customs. The tribe continues to press federal officials for stronger safeguards.
Conflicting Reports on Damage Extent
Sources disagree on damage extent; photos show a 50-foot swath removed, but officials have not released measurements. No independent archaeological assessment has verified the intaglio’s tail condition.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It was clear right away the damage is permanent,” — Russ McSpadden, Center for Biological Diversity
- “This was more than land, it was memory, it was identity, it was history,” — Verlon Jose, Tribal Chairman, Tohono O'odham Nation
- “The Tohono O'odham nation has made our position unmistakably clear to federal officials: this must never happen again,” — Verlon Jose, Tribal Chairman, Tohono O'odham Nation
- “MIA KORTRIGHT: Samuel Fayuant said that human remains are typically given a reburial all together about once a year.” — Samuel Fayuant, Cultural Affairs Office, Tohono O'odham Nation
- “I couldn’t tell you the extent of the damage at the intaglio Las Playas, but from what my colleague’s coverage has denoted it’s, it’s a pretty hurtful experience for the O’odham.” — Samuel Fayuant, Cultural Affairs Office, Tohono O'odham Nation
Next Steps and Ongoing Tribal Efforts
The tribe seeks formal repatriation of La Ciénega artifacts and a federal review of the waiver. Conservation groups call for an independent archaeological survey of the intaglio before further construction.
