Long Walk 2 marches into Flagstaff

By Diné Bureau

FLAGSTAFF — On March 21, indigenous spiritual leaders, environmental groups, tribal officials and some 250 community members welcomed more than 100 participants of the Longest Walk 2 to Flagstaff.

The Longest Walk 2, which marks the 30th anniversary of the original Longest Walk of 1978 that resulted in historic changes for Native Americans, is a five-month journey that began in San Francisco and will finish in Washington — bringing attention to environmental protection and Native American rights along the way.

“We’ve crossed 18 mountain ranges. We have walked 980 miles to be here,” said Dennis Banks, co-founder of the American Indian Movement and lead coordinator for the southern route of the Longest Walk 2. “Thirty years ago a walk took place across this country and one of the issues that we brought before members of Congress was the issue of the San Francisco Peaks, the holy mountain.

Thirty years later we are still concerned about the destruction and the violation of the holiness of this mountain.”

Sunrise Prayer

The walkers joined community supporters before entering Flagstaff for a sunrise prayer gathering held on the San Francisco Peaks where the Arizona Snowbowl, a small private ski resort, has been attempting to expand and make artificial snow from treated sewage effluent. More than 13 tribes hold the peaks holy, and tribes and environmental groups have filed suit against the U.S.

Forest Services

Following the ceremony, the walkers proceeded down the holy mountain picking up trash on their way to Flagstaff City Hall for a news conference and rally. Representatives of the Save the Peaks Coalition, Sierra Club, ECHOES, Black Mesa Water Coalition, and C-Aquifer for Diné addressed the issues facing their communities and voiced their support for the Longest Walk 2.

Shelby Ray, a 16-year-old representative of Youth of the Peaks, expressed her gratitude and encouragement to the young walkers saying, “We need more youth to speak out and take action for the environment and our rights.”

Mother Earth

Jeneda Benally, a volunteer with the Save the Peaks Coalition, called the walk a spiritual walk for the protection of Mother Earth.

“We are honored and blessed to welcome and host everyone who is on this historic journey. From the holy San Francisco Peaks to Black Mesa, Yucca Mountain, Bear Butte, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Shell Mounds, and many, many more, the Longest Walk is here because we are still struggling to protect our cultures and land,”she said.

Congressional candidate Howard Shanker said that the continued desecration of sacred sites in American should be an affront to all people of conscience everywhere.
“Native Americans have no First Amendment rights regarding public land use,” he said.

Reclaimed Water

Phil Stego Jr., Executive Director of Land Management for the White Mountain Apache Tribe, addressed the myth about the use of reclaimed water at Sunrise ski resort. He said, “As the Director of Natural Resources for the White Mountain Apache, I can tell you that Snowbowl is lying. We are not using reclaimed water at our ski resort.” Calvin Johnson, president of C-Aquifer for Dine’, an organization formed to oppose Peabody Coal’s use of the C-Aquifer for coal transport from Black Mesa, led the crowd in chanting, “Protect sacred sites, defend human rights.”

“We have Navajo tribal officials who stand up to protect the sacred mountain but don’t realize that water is also sacred. We say that water is life,” he said. C-Aquifer for Diné also opposes the “Settlement Plan” that would reopen the Mohave Generating Station and Peabody Coal mining operations.

People from throughout the Americas , Europe, Asia, and Australia who have joined the Longest Walk 2 offer their support to the struggles of indigenous people in the United States .

Jun Yasuda, a Buddhist nun from the Nipponzan Myohiji Order in Japan said, “Walk is a prayer, step by step we will walk until mother earth smiles.” Yasuda is a veteran of the 1978 Longest Walk and has continued to walk throughout the world for peace and Indigenous Peoples’ rights.

The Longest Walk 2 is anticipated to arrive in Washington on July 11.

“Upon our arrival, we will deliver a resolution to elected officials. This resolution will document the struggles and concerns from each indigenous community that we encounter during our walk,” said Banks.

Since the arrival of the Longest Walk 2 to Flagstaff , many community members have volunteered to cook, provide housing, monetary donations and other supplies.

“I feel like they are making history,” said Denise Stoner, an active Diné mother who has donated food and volunteered kitchen support.

Stoner also urged more people to get involved with the walk, “I know that its kind of hard because we are in a recession, times are tight right now but there are a lot of resources in this town, our community has a lot to offer,” she said.

Panel Discussion

The walkers will remain in the Flagstaff area until March 29. Today at 6:30 p.m., a panel discussion on the Longest Walk 2 will be held at Northern Arizona University ‘s Cline Auditorium. On Thursday, a benefit concert will be held at the Orpheum Theatre. On Friday at 11 a.m. a prayer gathering will be held at the Star School, located at 145 Leupp Rd., where individuals will have the opportunity to speak about issues impacting their communities.

After their Flagstaff visit, the Longest Walk 2 will continue though the Navajo Nation.

Information: www.longestwalk.org.