TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tohono O'odham leaders and people of many faiths gathered in prayer Wednesday in the Nation's San Xavier District, with one message: protect this land from the border wall.
The vigil comes days after crews cut down a cottonwood estimated to be about 200 years old near Lochiel to make way for the wall. Tohono O'odham Chairman Verlon Jose said crews plan to return Oct. 12 to start clearing vegetation along the Nation's border, including saguaros.
"When people ask me what I think about the border and how does it make me feel, I tell them it is if someone got a knife and dragged it across my heart; it's a scar that never will be healed," Jose told the crowd.
The event began with a procession from Mission San Xavier del Bac to the San Xavier Community Center. Dozens walked carrying signs that read "Tree spirits stand tall" and "Don't let sacred saguaros be crucified like Jesus."
Jose became emotional as he addressed the crowd, telling them he had been crying even before he arrived. He said elders who once fought the wall have since died, and that some who remain say they don't want to live to see it built.
"The Tohono O'odham Nation will not stand down," Jose told the crowd.
In an interview with KGUN 9 after the vigil, Jose said burial and archaeological sites sit along the border in the wall's path.
"How would you like it if it came to your home, your apartment, to your gated community, and I destroyed your front yard, your backyard, and then asked you where are your relatives buried?" Jose said.
He said those sites are known to the Nation and are kept private to keep them protected.
Jose told the crowd the Nation's Legislative Council recognizes the saguaro as a person.
"When you kill those, you're killing our children. You're killing our elders. You're killing our people, and we must protect them," he said.
On Monday, federal agents raided a protest camp near Lochiel in the San Rafael Valley, where activists had kept a round-the-clock tree-sit for 71 days. Contractors then cut down the last of four cottonwoods marked for removal. Activists said more than 10 people were arrested.
Jose told KGUN 9 that watching the tree come down left his heart heavy.
"When you saw them cutting down arms of that tree, it's as if I went to you and cut your arm off. You would cry too," he said.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero attended the vigil in support of the Nation. She told KGUN 9 that the City Council has repeatedly passed resolutions and joined legal amicus briefs supporting the Nation's sovereignty and opposing the wall.
"This is a political statement, and cruelty is the point. This is not necessary," Romero said.
Romero, who launched an initiative to plant 1 million trees in Tucson by 2030, told KGUN 9 that watching the grandmother cottonwood fall was painful, "not just in my head, in my mind, but in my body."
"It's not inside the city of Tucson, but the Sonoran Desert belongs to all of us," she said.
Speaking to the crowd, Romero said her father taught her to "stand with courage against injustice."
U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., also spoke at the vigil, framing the fight as one of religious freedom.
"Could you imagine if CBP bulldozes a church for wall construction? There would be an uproar," Grijalva told the crowd. "If we truly believe in religious freedom, then we have to protect it for everyone."
To close the vigil, participants gathered around saguaros at the community center, singing and blessing them with water.
Jose told KGUN 9 that faith will guide the Nation through whatever comes next.
"That's why prayer is so important, because regardless of what's going to happen in the next few days, we are going to be guided by our faith," he said.
He said the Nation has worked with federal administrations to reduce apprehensions along its border by 95% and wants true consultation.
"Number one is stop this wall," Jose said.
In a statement Monday to Arizona Luminaria about the Lochiel trees, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it "recognizes the importance of protecting the environment, wildlife, and cultural resources during border wall construction."
"While concerns exist about impacts to sensitive areas, it is important to note that illegal immigration itself poses significant environmental challenges," the statement said.
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Kenny Darr is a reporter for KGUN 9. He joined the team in January 2023. Before arriving in Arizona he was an Anchor and Reporter at KADN in Lafayette, LA. Share your story ideas with Kenny by emailing kenny.darr@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
