By Brenda NorrellPhotos: Walkers began their 8-mile trek Saturday morning to remember those who died in the Sonoran desert in search of a better life. Photos copyright Brenda Norrell, for reprint permission: brendanorrell@gmail.com
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TUCSON (Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008) -- Walkers gathered Saturday morning in Tucson to walk to San Xavier on the Tohono O'odham Nation, remembering those who died on the US/Mexico border. The walk, coordinated by Derechos Humanos, is the eighth annual Day of the Dead pilgrimage.
The eight mile walk from St. John's Church is underway to the San Xavier del Bac Mission. Kat Rodriguez, of Derechos Humanos, told walkers that the 183 white wooden crosses being carried represent each person who died in the desert from Oct. 1, 2007 to Sept. 30.
While some crosses carry the names of those who died, there are more than 108 crosses marked "unknown." Of those, there were 19 people who could not be identified as to whether they were male or female, because so little of their bodies could be found. Derechos Humanos said that 1,600 people have died trying to cross the Sonoran desert in the past eight years.
Listen to audios from this morning, Kat Rodriguez of Derechos Humanos and columnist Roberto Rodriquez
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