30 years ago, in 1978, the American Indian Movement, a part of the Civil Rights Movement for the Native American and Indigenous population in North America, held the Longest Walk. The Longest Walk of 1978 began on the West coast on Alcatraz Island near San Francisco and ended in Washington, D.C. The original Longest Walk began with less than 20 walkers but ended with an estimated 30,000 people when they reached the nation’s capitol. Marlon Brando and Muhammad Ali joined the first walk in 1978. The walk was staged to protest a move by Congress to nullify treaties made with American Indian nations. Indian women were unknowingly being sterilized by Indian Health Services; an omnibus crime bill that increased the provisions of the Indian Major Crimes Act was about to be passed which stripped American Indians of protection against illegal search and seizure, the right to an attorney while being questioned at length, and the loss of other civil liberties. The bill robbed people of their rights under the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth amendments. The walk drew much needed media attention to issues such as these on ABC’s Good Morning America, NBC’s Today and the CBS Morning News. President Jimmy Carter agreed to meet with representatives from the walk once they reached D.C.
The Longest Walk 2 began February 11, 2008 on Alcatraz Island as a commemoration of the original walk three decades ago. The Longest Walk 2 (www.sacredrun.org ) participants walk “to promote harmony with the Earth. We walk for the Seventh Generation, for our youth, for peace, for justice, for healing of Mother Earth, for the healing of our people suffering from diabetes, heart conditions, alcoholism, drug addiction, and other diseases. We walk with the message: All Life is Sacred, Save Mother Earth.” The walk split into two separate routes: south and north. The south route traveled down through California, through Arizona and is currently in New Mexico. The north route has been through California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Kansas. Both routes are scheduled to meet in Washington, D.C. 5 months after the walk started, on July 11, 2008. The Longest Walk 2 is non-profit and is enacting the Clean up America Campaign, where walkers clean up the roads as they travel the routes.
This past weekend, on Sunday April 6, 2008 the south route walkers arrived at the Dooda Desert Rock Music Festival to support the opposition of a potentially hazardous plant. Dooda is a Navajo (Dine`) word that means “No." Sithe Global and Dine` Power Authority (DPA) have proposed a coal-based power plant to be built on a site in Northwest New Mexico, on the Navajo Reservation, deemed Desert Rock. Sithe Global is a privately held and independent power company while, DPA was established as an enterprise by the Navajo Nation to promote energy development. Sithe Global and DPA argue that the coal-burning power plant would provide a much needed economic boost to the surrounding communities and the Navajo Nation. Energy from the plant will be sold competitively in southwest markets, to large cities like Las Vegas, Phoenix and Albuquerque, the plant would provide employment opportunities, and private investment banks have committed to spending big money on Desert Rock.
However, Dooda Desert Rock Organization (www.dooda-desert-rock.net ) opposes the power plant and feels that the “economic development must not come at the expense of the health of our children, the air we breathe, our sacred land and water, and our way of life.” Dooda Desert Rock Organization is a grassroots effort to raise awareness of the past, present and future pollution in the area and on the Navajo Reservation because of coal-burning power plants. Coal-burning power plants, such as the one Sithe Global and DPA are pushing, use an enormous amount of water to produce the electricity and energy from the plant. Water for the plant would come from an already sparse water supply in the area, be used, become polluted and then left in a man-made lake outside of the plant. The Navajo Nation is located in the heart of the desert and many Navajo homes and families go without clean running water. Health issues such as, respiratory problems and cancers are a big concern to residents whose livestock live off the land because the plant would be located just a couple of miles from homes. Other grassroots organizations that have joined the fight against the billion dollar companies; Sithe Global and DPA are; Dooda Desert Rock Committee, Dine` Care, C-Aquifer for Dine`, Dine` Bidziil, and Black Mesa Water Coalition.
In late March 2008 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated that there are concerns in issuing the air permit because of the increased danger of the Endangered Species Act and Global Warming. The air permit is currently pending investigations and more research from the EPA. Naturally Sithe Global and DPA are pushing and lobbying for the approval of their power plant on the Navajo Reservation. The proposal of the power plant from Sithe Global and support of the Navajo Nation has community members concerned and protesting.
The Longest Walk 2 aims to bring awareness to the sacred sites of Indigenous people throughout the country, plus environmental issues, sovereignty concerns, water rights, treatment of sacred artifacts and sites. It also aims to bring awareness to the struggles of Indigenous communities still today. The walk continues through New Mexico and then onto Oklahoma. I will be meeting up with them when they come to Albuquerque, NM on Friday April 11, 2008 for an event held in honor of the walkers.
For more information, to donate to the walk, sponsor a walker, view the north and south routes or to support the walk go to: www.longestwalk.org .
Keep an eye out for an upcoming story on the Longest Walk 2 when I meet up with them later this week!
The Longest Walk 2 www.longestwalk.org
Dooda Desert Rock www.dooda-desert-rock.net
Desert Rock Blog www.desert-rock-blog.com
Desert Rock Energy Project www.desertrockenergy.com/
Sithe Global, LLC. www.sitheglobal.com