O’odham Rights Cultural and Environmental Justice Coalition

O’odham Rights was founded by ceremonial and traditional leaders of the O’odham peoples in Mexico and the United States. It was formed in direct response to a proposal by a Mexican company to build a giant commercial hazardous waste landfill near the ceremonial site of Quitovac and O’odham villages on both sides of the border.

The dump would be located just a few miles southwest of the Sonora, Mexico state border with Arizona. Up to 45,000 tons of industrial waste annually would be brought to this site in the Sonoran Desert. This project is a direct threat to the traditional O’odham communities and their culture, traditions, sacred sites, and health and spiritual well-being. The group has been active in making their demands known, having held demonstrations in front of the Mexican Consulates in Phoenix, Tucson, and San Francisco. General support funds from Lannan supported this group through their partnership with GreenAction.