[progchat_action] Longest Walk 2 begins with sunrise ceremony on Alcatraz
 
Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 00:54:32 -0600 (CST)



Longest Walk 2 begins with sunrise ceremony on Alcatraz

by Morning Star Gali and Julie Hernandez
San Francisco BayView
Wednesday, 13 February 2008

Berkeley - On Monday, Indigenous Nations from around the country held a
rally and press conference at UC Berkeley to commence the Longest Walk 2 - a
trans-continental walk for environmental protection and Native American
rights. Participants in the Longest Walk 2 are embarking on a five-month
journey on foot from San Francisco and will arrive in Washington, D.C., on
July 11, 2008.

More than 1,000 Native American dignitaries, religious leaders,
environmental activists and union members began the walk at a Monday sunrise
ceremony on Alcatraz Island, which has become a symbol for Native American
resistance. The events continued with the peaceful rally at the University
of California.

"Longest Walk 2 embraces the struggle in solidarity with California Natives
fighting the sudden and secretive elimination of UC Berkeley's Hearst
Museum's unit on Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
(NAGPRA)," said Jimbo Simmons, national coordinator of the Longest Walk 2
and Native American NAGPRA Coalition member. "We are protesting the
university's possession of more than 12,000 ancestral remains. Not only is
UC Berkeley refusing to comply with federal law, they are turning complete
control of our missing Indian ancestors and sacred objects to radical
anti-repatriation scientists."

One of those scientists, UC Berkeley osteologist Dr. Tim White, claims that
students could not be properly trained in such fields as medicine and
physical anthropology without "direct access" to "skeletal remains." "Even
if Dr. White thinks human remains are so scientifically important, why he is
so covetous of Native American remains," asks Corbin Collins. "Wouldn't it
be fairer to share the burden? Shouldn't he use his same arguments to
request governmental permission to dig up the graves of Caucasians, say at
Forest Lawn or even Arlington?"

Native Americans and social justice allies demanded a reversal of the
administrative exclusion of Native Americans from any decision making
process. Native people also demanded that the university immediately comply
with all federal and state laws.

"You are literally walking in my ancestors' footsteps," said Cheyenne Gould,
a 17-year-old Muwekwa Ohlone youth. "My ancestors walked all through here
and now they are in boxes at this university. I feel appreciative of the
Longest Walk 2 because we need more people to speak out. We also need more
people to listen to us so that the University will give back our remains so
we can have proper burials."

A march that grew to more than 400 people began at UC Berkeley's Oak Grove.
Activists have been blocking plans by University officials to clearcut old
growth trees and demolish the area that has been identified as an Ohlone
burial site by UC Berkeley's own archeology department.

Marchers proceeded to Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus with a call for
attention and support for a California state Senate hearing on Feb. 26 to
investigate the ongoing rights violations committed by the university
against Native Americans. Marchers also voiced support for mediation between
Indian Nations and the UC system.

"When it comes to Native Americans, why is it that we have no guaranteed
protection of our religious freedoms and our ancestors' final sacred resting
places?" said Morning Star Gali, Achumawi Band of the Pit River Nation and
member of the Native American NAGPRA Coalition. "Universities, such as UC
Berkeley and San Francisco State University, and developers continue to
violate federal laws and desecrate our burial sites and sacred places. Both
UC Berkeley and SF State are holding over 12,000 of our ancestors and
cultural objects hostage."

"This is a direct attack on our people." said Joey Silvas, Wailaki tribal
member. "We will be back until our people are returned, every one of them. I
would like you to take these messages from Alcatraz, Glen Cove, UC Berkeley
and DQ University. The whole world needs to know. Not only in Indian
Country."

The Longest Walk of 2008 is stopping in communities all across Turtle
Island. Longest Walk participants will listen to Native peoples' concerns,
document and deliver them to U.S. officials in D.C.

The 2008 walk will mark the 30th anniversary of the original Longest Walk of
1978 that resulted in historic changes for Native America. In July of 1978,
thousands converged on the nation's capitol to immobilize 11 pieces of
legislation in Congress that would have abrogated Native American treaties.
Indigenous people were also granted the federal legislative right to freedom
of religion, a fundamental right guaranteed to all Americans under the U.S.
Constitution.

"It's sad to think that there are more dead Indians here at this University
than live ones. That needs to change," said Dennis Banks, co-founder of the
American Indian Movement. "They have studied us long enough. They've
trampled upon our history. They have disturbed the journey of our spirits."

"Americans, if you were our friend, we wouldn't have to walk across this
country to say how we've been hurt!"

The Longest Walk 2 will take two routes. The Northern route will travel the
original route of 1978 across 11 states and 3,600 miles. The Southern route
will follow the 2006 Sacred Run route across 13 states and 4,400 miles. Both
routes will visit sacred sites across the nation and promote educational
awareness for sacred sites protection and preservation.

The Southern route will be launching the Clean Up Mother Earth Campaign,
where Longest Walk participants will work together to clean up our country's
highways and roads by collecting debris found along the Longest Walk route.
Each night the walkers will gather with the communities they are passing
through and share stories of the struggles each one is facing.

"In 1978, our communities faced many hardships, such as non-existing
religious rights and criminalization of our people who fought for cultural
survival. This is why the Longest Walk was necessary. As Indigenous peoples
in the United States, our environment and our cultural survival are directly
correlated and are still imperiled today. This is why we must walk once
again," states Jimbo Simmons of the International Indian Treaty Council.

A descendent of original walkers and the California coordinator for the
Longest Walk 2, Morning Star Gali sees the Longest Walk 2 "as a walk for
cultural survival. ... [It] is an opportunity for the youth to see firsthand
what issues and challenges our communities are facing, what sacred sites are
being desecrated and the efforts that are being made to protect them. This
is an opportunity for our elders to participate and pass that knowledge on.
Like my aunt [has told me], this is our opportunity to change the world into
what we choose for the ... generations ahead."

Walkers on the two routes will reunite five months and 4,000 miles later, in
Washington, D.C., on July 8 with a rally and a passing of the staff from the
older generation to the younger.

**********

Contact Morning Star Gali at mstargali@gmail.comThis e-mail address is being
protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and Julie
Hernandez at memma3@yahoo.com.This e-mail address is being protected from
spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it For more information,
visit www.longestwalk.org. Bay View staff contributed to this story.

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