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| Now being released, "Significant Impact: Contesting Surveillance Infrastructure on Tohono O'odham Je'ved" by Ophelia Rivas, Caitlin Blanchielf, and Nina Kolowratnik. |
The Threat on O'odham Lands by Ophelia Rivas, Tohono O'odham
By Ophelia Rivas, Censored News, July 12, 2026
O’odham VOICE Against the WALL
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security threatens to construct the Metal Wall on 62 miles of Tohono O’odham Nations lands adjacent the United States and Mexico International border.
The O’odham Way of Life is dismissed in waving national protective laws, as was done with the 2006 Secure Fence Act Vehicle Barrier and the 2014 Arizona Border Surveillance Technology Plan.
The Integrated Fixed Towers were constructed, destroying and removing ancient human remains and burial property, and blowing up hills and mountains of great cultural significance to the O’odham.
Along the 62 miles of O’odham lands the border patrol has been using military fear tactics on the people, and all their activities are unmonitored.
Because he spoke out about border patrol and tribal police corruption, unarmed hereditary ceremony leader Raymond Mattia Sr was shot and killed by United States military called the border patrol along with a non-American Indian Tohono O’odham Nation Police Officer.
Thirty-eight (38) bullets were shot at Ray, eleven (11) bullets hit his body as Ray stood unarmed in front of his house. Their brutal Excessive Force attack on a dying man is recorded in the Tucson Medical Examiners Report as blunt force trauma, his body marked by rifle butts, with cuts on his head, his nose and face, broken 12th rib and broken right arm.
The border patrol officers, Scott Whitehouse, Dan Sifuentes and Ivan Torralva, and Tohono O’odham tribal police Cedric Randle, were not charged for killing Ray.
I live at my birth place, less than a quarter of a mile from the border where there are two graves of two women, an ancient community and burial place, and places used for ceremony purposes, hills and mountains and plant life and animal life.
The double metal wall construction without discretion already bulldozed an ancient earth image destroying critical O’odham ancient history.
The O’odham Rights and Human Rights work I strive to advocate is led by the ceremonial leaders and traditional Elders of my mother’s and father’s community for my great-great grandchildren and their survival.
My ancestors defended our lands and way of life so I can exist today.
All my life long work is from personal witness, experience and through interaction with communities, as I do live on the reservation. All my research is documented and published. The integrity of my words and research should be credited appropriately and respectfully for the next generations. All that have used my words and work for self-promotion and glory will endure the consequence of the ancient authorities.
Thank you to the long-time supporters and allies, the three-authored book will be available soon.
Copyright Ophelia Rivas. Content may not be used without written permission, or in any way for revenues or profit.
Support Ophelia work on her website, and read more:
| (Top photo) Ophelia's new book, "Significant Impact: Contesting Surveillance Infrastructure on Tohono O'odham Je'ved" is by Ophelia Rivas, Caitlin Blanchielf, and Nina Kolowratnik, and published by Actar Publishers in New York and Barcelona, Spain. |
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