US border wall construction damages sacred indigenous site in northern Mexico

Tecate (Mexico), Apr. 14 (EFE).- US construction work to expand the border wall in the Tecate area (Baja California) has affected Cuchumá Hill, located right on the border and considered sacred by the Kumiai people, according to reports on Tuesday from authorities and indigenous representatives on the Mexican side.

CAMERA: JOEBETH TERRIQUEZ.

STATEMENTS BY NORMA MEZA CALLES, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE KUMIAI COMMUNITY AND DEFENDER OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ RIGHTS.

TRANSLATION:

The mountain is called Cuchumá, which means “the one who is resting.” He used to be a cushiai, what do you call it?, a shaman. Nowadays, people have attached all sorts of stories to him, but he was a shaman. That mountain is deeply respected by all the Kumiai.

And right now this problem is happening where they’re destroying it; it’s very sad because that mountain is very important to us. All the communities knew that story and respected it.

We’re taught to respect the mountain because for us there are no churches, so we used to go there to sing and meditate. It’s very sad what’s happening, destroying the mountain. For you, it’s just a mountain; for us, it’s our church.