life’s spiritual journies

The interesting thing about paying attention to life, as you live it, is that it changes- and rapidly at that. Like that Summer day that starts out sunny and warm and by early afternoon, the temperature drops 30 degrees and it rains and hails, then the sun comes out and it’s warm and sunny again. Life is just like that. You might watch the weather and think you know a storm is coming, but usually it says 20 percent chance of thunderstorms and you blow it off because those weather people are never right. I didn’t always pay attention. For some of life, I just was along for the ride. Most of this was seen through rose colored glasses and remembered in a fog, but that’s okay too. Now that I’ve come this far on the path, it’s time to venture out again. I want to tell you about what’s happening in the next few months in my future, or at least what I hope to have happen.

In 1978, AIM, The American Indian Movement, did a march and they called it “The Longest Walk“. They walked from Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, to Washington DC. This walk culminated in sweeping changes for the Native American Community as a whole. It was in 1978 that Indigenous people were “allowed” to practice their religion openly. That’s right youngsters. Up until 1978 it was illegal to have a Sundance or Sweat Lodge ceremony. Imagine. The original inhabitants of this Nation needed to have an act of Congress to hold ceremonies and practice their religious beliefs. I learned about this forgotten piece of history a while ago, but I still bristle when I hear that this had to happen to the people of the First Nations of this country. How ironic that one of the supposed founding ideals of the United States was religious freedom. More on that whole idea some other time. Right now, I want to give you a link to some history about this Longest Walk in 1978. PBS did a special some time ago. Have a look and read about some courageous people. Here is an excerpt from the PBS site:

“The last major event of the Alcatraz-Red Power Movement was The Longest Walk from February to July 1978. Several hundred Native Americans marched from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. to symbolize the forced removal of American Indians from their homelands and to draw attention to the continuing problems plaguing the Indian community. The march also attempted to call attention to backlash against Indian treaty rights that was gaining momentum in Congress. Unlike many protest events of the mid-’70s, the walk was a peaceful event.”

Russel Means, one of the founders of AIM had this to say:

“Before AIM [American Indian Movement], Indians were dispirited, defeated and culturally dissolving. People were ashamed to be Indian. You didn’t see the young people wearing braids or chokers or ribbon shirts in those days. Hell, I didn’t wear ‘em. People didn’t Sun Dance, they didn’t Sweat, they were losing their languages. Then there was that spark at Alcatraz, and we took off. Man, we took a ride across this country. We put Indians and Indian rights smack dab in the middle of the public consciousness for the first time since the so-called Indian Wars…. [AIM] laid the groundwork for the next stage in regaining our sovereignty and self-determination as nation, and I’m proud to have been a part of that.”

- Russell Means (Oglala Lakota)

Well, It’s been 30 years since that Longest Walk. They are going to commemorate it and start on February 11, 2008 at Alcatraz Island, as they did in 1978. I am going to San Francisco and I will be joining them. No, I can’t walk 4500 miles. No, I won’t be able to make every physical step. But I will volunteer myself, my van and what ever talents I have to help the walkers and supporters be successful.

Please read about The Longest Walk 2008. Copy it, post it, tell your friends about it. Support it, join in, walk for an hour, a day or more. Donate. Go through the site. Look at their mission. It’s not a big party to complain about the atrocities still facing not only Native Americans, but minorities and the poverty stricken, but rather a celebration and honoring of the Sacred Earth Mother. It is not a protest march.

This writer, who calls himself Longest Walker 1978, had this to say:

“It is also important to understand that The Longest Walk was NOT a protest march. It was a spiritual walk affirming tribal sovereignty and walking to ensure that efforts to terminate treaties and treaty rights were not carried out. To some, this might seem a semantical distinction. It is not. The legislation involved was situational to the time, but the issues are just as valid today as it was 30 years ago.”

The complete statement can be found in the Forum section of the Longest Walk web site.

Another long time activist for AIM, Dennis Banks, defines the Mission Statement for this event:

“Our mission is to walk across the U.S. Continent from Alcatraz in San Francisco, to Washington D.C., to commemorate the 30th anniversary of The Longest Walk of 1978. We take up this task to walk in a manner befitting our nations. We shall walk for the Seventh Generation, for peace, for justice, for healing of Mother Earth, for the healing of our people suffering from diabetes, heart conditions, and other diseases. We walk with the message: All Life is Sacred, Save Mother Earth. Through the elements of the seasons, we shall walk; through the rain, snow, over mountains, high winds, through the heat and cold, nothing shall deter us from completing our mission: All Life is Sacred, Protect Sacred Sites. Let those who doubt us hear our pledge. Let those who believe us join our ranks. As we walk those final miles, by our side will be elders, families, children, and people of all races, from many walks of life, the old and the new America. All Life is Sacred, Clean up Mother Earth.”

For further information on the walk, please visit http://www.longestwalk.org

Migwitch,

Dennis J. Banks

Many of you know that I follow this Red Road way of thinking and living. For me personally, learning about the old Native American traditions and way of life has helped me find peace in my own world as I heal from the PTSD and other health issues. I can’t stress enough that to me, it is not a religion, but rather a way of life that has brought me some peace after many years of struggle and suffering. You may wonder why I will be going on this Longest Walk. I’ll explain the reasons and my own personal mission in the days ahead. For now, I just want to tell you, my dear friends, that I am embarking on another journey, another adventure in less than two weeks. When I returned from a trip to the West coast last September, I was planning on sticking around Ashland until November, and then travel in a borrowed RV to spend most of the Winter in New Mexico. Those plans dried up when we were offered a house sitting situation through January in town. We took the deal and are nearing the end of our commitment. We were going to go back to the cabin for the rest of the Winter and not travel this year. Now, with my decision to volunteer with this walk, things have changed again. It is uncanny how this happens.

I mean, when do you decide you need to make a decision about something? When do you say or think, “I like what I’m hearing and I want to be a part of this”, and then go change every plan you made to accommodate it? All these years, I realize how goofy I must have sounded, to say that I was going to do something, then people would see me and ask me how things went. I could only mutter that I ended up doing something completely different. Now, I don’t make plans. I have options and I exercise one of those options. That will get me off the hook in case I don’t go on this Longest Walk. But I feel a commitment to volunteer is more important to my soul than just wanting to shorten the Winter by spending some time down South. For now, for today, participating in the Longest Walk is the option I plan on adhering to. I’ll attempt to steer the tides of life in my favor so I can make this participation a reality. I urge you to see the greater good that this walk stands for and not look at it as another protest action. I ask you to consider some kind of support, no matter how small, even a prayer or a positive thought, and pass it along.

I’ll explain my own reasons in the next days. Please come back for updates.

Peace to All.

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