U.S. is Dynamiting Kumeyaay Sacred Mountain for Border Wall Expansion
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| Video https://www.bastillepost.com/global/article/5833741-u-s-border-wall-expansion-destroys-sacred-indigenous-site |
By Brenda Norrell, Censored News, May 15, 2026
The United States government is dynamiting the sacred place of Kumeyaay, who live on both sides of the border, and blasted two sacred monoliths that were 60 to 120 million years old. The U.S. began blasting Cerro Cuchumá in early April, a historic and sacred site where their medicine people carry out ceremonies, without consultation as required by U.S. federal law.
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| Kumeyaay leader Norma Alicia Mesa "They haven't consulted us." |
Kumeyaay leader Norma Alicia Mesa said, "They haven't consulted us."
"That mountain has a life of its own, a breath of its own, a spirituality of its own, and its own energy," Mesa said.
Kumeyaay access to their sacred mountain is blocked. Kumeyaay usually travel back and forth in their territory across the so-called border south of San Diego -- but now they are being blocked from crossing.
"The expansion of the U.S.-Mexico border wall has leveled a sacred indigenous site of the Kumeyaay people, threatening cultural heritage and bypassing environmental laws," reports Bastille Post Global.
"Two monoliths that were dynamited, that were exploded or blown up, were from 60 to 120 million years ago. They were considered sacred places for them. This was their temple, and it doesn't exist anymore," said Demian Vega, a coordinator at La Puerta Foundation, a Mexico-based non-profit organization dedicated to protecting natural and cultural heritages in the border area.
Al Jazeera reports, "Indigenous people in Mexico protest the U.S. blasting a sacred ceremonial site with dynamite to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall."
“It upsets us Kumeyaay to see parts of our sacred land being destroyed,” said one of the people at the protest.
The Kumeyaay people consider Cerro Cuchumá a sacred site where they hold their ceremonies and medicine people hold initiations. Cerro Cuchumá also functions as a cemetery.
The area was recognized as a historic and sacred site by the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in October 1992.
"Kuchumá is in Tecate, on the Mexico side of the border. Northern Kumeyaay territory, the Baja Kumiai mobilized to help protect the sacred sites, Kumeyaay said.
Read more and watch videos:
Bastille Post Global https://www.bastillepost.com/global/article/5833741-u-s-border-wall-expansion-destroys-sacred-indigenous-site
Al Jazeera https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WURO9ysWza0
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