Elsa Hull’s daughters at the edge of the Rio Grande near their home in South Texas. (Photo credit: Elsa Hull)Border Walls and Buoy Barriers Are Killing the Rio Grande. The Rio Grande is not just a river; it is an inseparable part of my identity. Much of my spare time is spent kayaking, camping, and observing wildlife with friends and family on the Rio Grande. The Carrizo Comecrudo Nation, or Esto’k Gna in their native tongue, are the original people of the lands along the Rio Grande.