In the footsteps of "The Longest Walk"

In 1978, members of the American Indian Movement walked from Alcatraz to Washington D.C. to protest the United States government's ongoing disregard for native peoples and treaty rights. This “Longest Walk,” as it was known, brought attention to centuries-long native struggles for sovereignty and cultural continuance.

Now, thirty years later, hundreds more are making the same cross-country journey to the nation's capital. On February 11th, activists from around the world left Alcatraz (where native people were once imprisoned for not allowing their children to be taken away to boarding schools) on a five-month quest to raise awareness about native concerns. The Longest Walk Website describes the event as “an extraordinary grassroots effort on a national level to bring attention to the environmental disharmony of Mother Earth, sacred site issues, and to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the original longest walk.”

Participants will pick up garbage along the way and carry a message of healing for the earth and her people. Walkers are gathering pledges to support efforts to revitalize native cultures and protect sacred land, and are chronicling their voyage with pictures and blogs. Visit their website to learn more about their modern-day pilgrimage.

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