Narrated By: Verlon Jose

We the Indigenous Peoples of the US Mexico Borderlands call for:

- The respect for our rights to freedom of religions, identity, and expressions, as they’ve been defined and validated by the United Nations Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Constitutions of the US and Mexico.

- The Removal of Segments of the wall that have interfered with the flow of water, animal migrations, and pilgrimage trails.

- The Removal of the wall and lighting wherever there are sacred sites, cemeteries, chapels, ceremonial grounds, shrines, sacred springs, and ceremonial plants and animal pathways.

- The use of less costly and more effective electronic surveillance combined with vehicle barriers.

- Allowance for spiritual pilgrims’ passage through gates or broader corridors.

- The Restoration and Mitigation of all of the damaged springs and waterways that are critical to our Native Cultures and to wildlife.

- The Restoration of Areas where Saguaros and all other sacred, ceremonial, and medicinal plants that have been decimated by border wall construction.

- Regular Cultural Sensitivity and Bias Training Workshops for all Law Enforcers and Contractors working on the Border.

- The Restoration of Trinational Agreements, and Cooperation and Documents that Assure Our Rights to Free Mobility Across the Border for Religious Purposes.

- The Renewal of Meaningful Government-to-Government Consultation and Dialogue that is Deep and Responsive with all Affective Tribal Nations – Tohono O’odham, HIA c-ED O’odham, COCOPA, Kumeyaay, Kickapoo, YSLETA Pueblo, Apache, Jumanos/Apache, Yaqui, and Carrizo/COMECRUDO communities.

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Video Provided By: Laurie Monti