Best of Censored News: Provocative and Relentless Voices from the Ground

Robert Free with delegation in Venezuela.

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News

As we begin our 14th year at Censored News, we share with you some of the most extraordinary news that has come our way. It is good to go through these old stories, because not only are the details often forgotten, but so is the perspective, a way of seeing the world. Here are a few highlights from Censored News.

The Joy Bringers: Longest Walk on Final Stretch with 68 Miles to Go, Photos by Bad Bear 2019

Photos by Carl Bad Bear Sampson, Western Shoshone, Longest Walk 2019

With only 68 miles remaining, the grand finale is on Monday at the Washington Monument

• Article by Brenda Norrell Censored News July 12, 2019 MCCONNELSBURG, Penn. -- Western Shoshone Longwalker and photojournalist Carl Bad Bear Sampson, and a small group of walkers, have made it all the way across this land, this land people call 'America.' With few walkers and runners since they walked out of Alcatraz, the Longest Walk, We Shall Continue, walk and ran across this land for Indigenous rights. Because of the fewness of their numbers and resources, the walkers endured a great deal to walk across America. There are only 68 miles remaining. The walkers were join by youths from California three days ago. Bad Bear said at noon today, "The walk is going to finish at Hagerstown, Maryland at the end of today our 30 miles mark. Walkers are staying at Nipponzan Peace Pagoda 4900 16th Street NW Washington D.C. Right now the walk is just now passing thru the town of McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania." Please join the walkers and runners and congratulate them, during the finale in Washington on Monday. Longest Walk Finale on National Monument in Washington D.C. Monday, July 15, 2019 at 6 a.m. – 2 p.m. Eastern Time Washington Monument National Monument 2 15th Street NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20024

KANSAS -- Longest Walk 2019 Photos by Bad Bear

Longest Walk 2019 Photos by Carl Bad Bear Sampson, Western Shoshone Long Walker. Walkers are in Dodge City, Kansas today, and ask for help. There's just a few walkers and runners now on the long stretch of Kansas walking and running for Indigenous rights, enroute to DC.
Contact for Bad Bear, text him at 775-624-4403

Longest Walk 5 Walks into Illinois -- Photos by Bad Bear

The Oglala Commemoration Committee met with Long Walkers and presented walkers with a flag in Illinois. (Photo Lisa Zahner Reinhold)

Photos below by Bad Bear

.

Photos by Western Shoshone Long Walker Carl Bad Bear Sampson.

Longest Walk 5 walked into Mount Vernon, Illinois, in its coast to coast walk across this land to carry the message of halting domestic violence and drug abuse.

Native American Long Walkers harassed by Kansas police

Photo by Bad Bear

The sweet smell of sage and racism in Kansas

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
English and Dutch

Photo by Bad Bear

KANSAS -- Native Americans on the Longest Walk 4 Return to Alcatraz said, "Day 64-nothing like a little racism."
Long Walkers said that after five straight days of walking they were "racially harassed" near Kansas City in Kansas. 
"Some ding dong called the police when we were circling up at the end of walking today and when we got on the van the police show up, and he claims burning sage smells like marijuana. So after some discussion, he runs me through the computer, calls three other vehicles and comes over and does a field test," Long walker said.
"Of course it comes up negative, and we are on the way but the whole incident leaves a sour taste. I told them they should improve their drug training. Earlier another police tried to stop us for jay walking. Go figure.
"Other than that it was all good. Special thanks to Steve and Nanette and family for hosting us; her father who is 91 supported us in 1978 The Longest Walk. Also to Penny and family for walking with us as well and Forest for the dinner."

Bad Bear's photos from Long Walk 4 today in Kansas and more:
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2013/09/longest-walk-4-photos-by-bad-bear.html

In 2011, returning from Longest Walk 3, walkers were harassed in Ohio by police, after being attacked by police in Columbus, Ohio, on Longest Walk 2 northern route in 2008:
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2011/07/columbus-ohio-police-target-native.html

Dutch translation by Alice Holeman NAIS Gazette, thank you!
http://www.bloggen.be/natam/

LONG WALK 4 : DE ZOETE GEUR VAN SALIE EN RACISME IN KANSAS
Door Brenda Norrell / Censored News http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
Foto's : Bad Bear
KANSAS – De deelnemers van de Longest Walk 4 Return to Alcatraz zeiden : “Dag 64 – enkel maar een beetje racisme”.
De Long Walkers zeiden dat ze na 5 dagen stappen nabij Kansas City werden lastiggevallen door de politie.
“ Toen we op het einde van onze mars een cirkel vormden en salie brandden, kwam er een politiewagen aangereden. Een of andere idioot had de politie gebeld. “Salie ruikt als marihuana “ zei de politie. Na een discussie  riep hij versterking op en deed hij een test ten velde. Long Walker zei hem dat de politie dringend hun drugs training moeten aanpassen.
Daarvoor heeft een andere politie agent geprobeerd ons te doen stoppen omdat wij “roekeloos” wandelden. Wij zijn nu terug op weg maar incidenten zoals deze laten toch een bittere smaak achter.
Afgezien deze feiten ging alles goed. Wij willen Steve en Nanette en familie bedanken voor hun gastvrijheid; haar vader die nu 91 is steunde ons in de Longest Walk 1978. Ook dank naar Penny en familie die met ons meestapten  en Forest voor het diner."
In 2011 werden walkers, op hun terugweg lastiggevallen door de politie, nadat zij aangevallen waren door de politie in Columbus, Ohio tijdens de Longest Walk 2 northern route in 2008:
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2011/07/columbus-ohio-police-target-native.html

COLUMBUS RACISM: Long Walk 4 in Columbus, Ohio Today Aug. 5, 2013

Long Walkers Safely through Columbus, Ohio on Monday!

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com

Update from Long Walk 4, Monday evening: "Walk went through Columbus without incident today. The police had a patrol car escort us, and were very polite and helpful at the intersections. A flu bug has hit us, causing some Walkers to rest, but the highlight of the day was the introduction of the Children's Staff, as there are now children to carry it. On other news we are getting low on resources so if anyone out there has a network they belong to, small donations can add up. Most importantly, we are grateful for all the messages and prayers of support. Those involved in Indigenous Sovereignty issues are invited to send in their issues for posting on the website."

Luv arrested 2008/Photo Marie Littlemoon

The Longest Walk 4 Return to Alcatraz will be walking through Columbus, Ohio, today, where long walkers were attacked by police in 2008.

Michael Lane, who was targeted by a police officer holding a taser on the Longest Walk 2 in Columbus in 2008, said the walkers are hopeful there will be no problems with the police:

"Day 22 -- getting ready to walk through Columbus today. Hope it goes better this year than 2008. We will be led by the new Children Staff for the first time today as well. Should go good, as we have prepared and communicated with the police," said Lane, who also walked on the original Long Walk in 1978.

Today, walking to Columbus, long walker Aki Zaagi said walkers finished 27 miles yesterday, and 51 miles the day before. Aki Zaagi, who walked across America in Long Walk 2 and Long Walk 3, said by phone message today, "This day, Susanna, 11-year-old from Pine Ridge, will be carrying the youth staff."

In 2008, long walker Luv the Messenger was arrested when Columbus police attacked the long walkers. The children on Long Walk 2 were traumatized by the police attack in 2008. Watch video of police attack: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJBETfYXzNc&feature=youtu.be

Censored News photo by Bad Bear 2011

In 2011, as walkers returned home from Long Walk 3, Native American long walkers were again targeted by police near Columbus.

"Columbus is alive in the City of Columbus," said Bad Bear, Western Shoshone long walker and driver of the vehicle. Bad Bear walked across America on Long Walk 2, then again in 2011 on the Long Walk for Diabetes, in the Renegade Walkers.

Bad Bear and Manny, from Warm Springs, Ore.,  were heading home from Washington, D.C., traveling fifteen miles outside of Columbus, in the direction of Dayton. Ohio state troopers singled out their vehicle in the flow of traffic on the highway.

Ohio state troopers brought in a police dog to search their vehicle for drugs. After the dog scratched the vehicle, and found no drugs, police continued searching for drugs. The vehicle was searched three times, with police tearing out components in the door.

Bad Bear and Manny were separated and interrogated. They were questioned extensively about the sage in their vehicle, a natural plant in the west which is burned for ceremonies.

"They kept asking us about our sage, if we were smoking it," said Bad Bear, pointing out that the police were unaware of how sage is burned during Native American prayers.

The Longest Walk 4: Return to Alcatraz was initiated by those on the original, Longest Walk in 1978. The current walk across America began on July 15th, 2013 in Washington D.C. and will arrive in Alcatraz on December 22, 2013.

On the current walk are two Native American youths walking across America for the third time, Craig Luther, Navajo, and Lisa Peake, Anishinabe/Pomo.

"The purpose of this Walk will be to reaffirm the heart of Traditional Tribal Sovereignty rooted in Ceremony and land based spiritual relationships. We call on all Indigenous Peoples to come and support this Walk. 

"We have gone to Washington D.C. many times to seek justice, the protection of treaty rights, and the continuing existence of our Peoples and Ways of Life. They have had their opportunity. The time has come to reclaim for ourselves the prayers that have gone east and bring them back full circle to Alcatraz, the symbol of the modern assertion of what has been called the Red Power Movement. We Walk to educate our own Peoples on what Tribal Sovereignty means from an Indigenous Peoples way of life,” the Long Walk 4 Return to Alcatraz said in their statement of purpose.

Photos of Longest Walk 4 in Ohio by Jennifer Vance: http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2013/08/photo-long-walk-in-ohio.html

Longest Walk 4 Return to Alcatraz website, with route and more: http://www.returntoalcatraz.com

Dutch translation by Alice at NAIS Gazette, thank you!
http://bloggen.be/natam/archief.php?ID=2288214

Long walkers op maandag 5 juli veilig door Columbus, Ohio! Door Brenda Norrell : Censored News http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com Update van de Long Walk4, maandagavond : “ de Walk ging vandaag door Columbus zonder incidenten. Een politieauto begeleidde ons en zij waren beleefd en behulpzaam aan de kruispunten. Het griepvirus heeft zijn tol geëist waardoor enkele walkers moesten rusten. Het hoogtepunt van de dag was de introductie van de staf voor de kinderen, want er zijn nu kinderen om die te dragen. Een keerzijde is dat we gebrek hebben aan hulpmiddelen. Wanneer u ons kan steunen  zullen we dit dankbaar aanvaarden. Wij zijn vooral heel dankbaar voor al de berichten en gebeden om ons te steunen." STEUN DE LONGEST WALK : DONATE http://www.returntoalcatraz.com IEDERE HULP, HOE KLEIN OOK IS GROOTS ! De Longest Walk4 Return to Alcatraz stapt door Columbus, Ohio waar long walkers in 2008 werden aangevallen door de politie. Michael Lane die tijdens de Longest Walk 2 in 2008 bedreigt werd door een politieagent met een taser ,zei dat de walkers er gerust in waren dat er dit keer niets zou gebeuren: “ Dag 22, we maken ons klaar om vandaag door Columbus te stappen. Hoop dat het beter zal gaan dan in 2008. Vandaag zullen we voor de eerste keer geleid worden door de nieuwe staf van de kinderen. Het moet wel goed gaan daar wij ons voorbereid hebben en op voorhand gepraat hebben met de politie”, aldus Lane die ook de oorspronkelijke Walk in 1978 meegedaan heeft. Long Walker Aki Zaagi liet per telefoon weten dat de walkers de dag eerder 27 mijl afgelegd hebben en de dag daarvoor 51 mijl. Aki Zaagi zei verder nog dat Susanna, een 11 jarig meisje uit Pine Ridge de jongeren -staf zal dragen. In 2008 werd Long Walker Luv the Messenger gearresteerd toen de politie de walkers overvielen. De kinderen die deelnamen aan de LongWalk 2 werden getraumatiseerd door het politieoptreden. Zie hieronder video van Marie Little Moon van 9 juni 2008 Toen in 2011, na de Long Walk 3, walkers terug naar huis keerden werden zij opnieuw het doelwit van de politie nabij Columbus. “Columbus leeft nog steeds in de stad van Columbus” zei Bad Bear, Western Shoshone, long walker en chauffeur van de volgwagen. Bad Bear stapte door America met de Long Walk 2, en dan opnieuw in 2011 met de 'Long Walk for Diabetes’, in de Renegade Walkers. Bad Bear en Manny,uit Warm Springs, Oregon keerden vanuit Washington DC huiswaarts. Zij reden 15 mijl buiten Columbus toen zij door de staatspolitie werden uitgepikt uit een reusachtige file op de snelweg. De staatspolitie bracht een politiehond om hun wagen te doorzoeken op drugs. Tot driemaal toe werd de wagen doorzocht terwijl de agenten de deuren aan de binnenkant kapot scheurden. Bad Bear en Manny werden afzonderlijk verhoord. Zij werden uitgebreid ondervraagd over de salie die in hun wagen gevonden werd. “Zij bleven eindeloos vragen stellen over de salie en of we dat rookten” ,aldus Bad Bear die benadrukte dat de agenten er geen benul van hadden dat salie gebrand werd tijdens ceremoniën en bij gebeden. De Longest Walk 4 Return to Alcatraz werd op gang gebracht door de oorspronkelijke Longest Walkers van 1978. De huidige walk doorheen Amerika begon op 15 juli, 2013 in Washington DC en zal aankomen in Alcatraz op 22 december 2013. Craig Luther, Navajo en Lisa Peake, Anishinabee/Pomo zijn twee jongeren die reeds voor de derde keer doorheen Amerika stappen. “Het doel van deze mars is om opnieuw het hart van de traditionele soevereiniteit, die geworteld zit in ceremonie en land gebaseerde spirituele relaties te bevestigen. Wij roepen alle inheemse volken op om onze mars te steunen. Wij zijn reeds zo dikwijls naar Washington DC getrokken om recht te zoeken, de bescherming van de verdrag rechten en om het bestaan van ons volk en manier van leven te vrijwaren. Zij hebben hun kansen gekregen. Nu is de tijd aangebroken om voor onszelf de  gebeden die naar het oosten gingen terug te eisen en hen naar Alcatraz te brengen. Dan is de cirkel terug rond, het symbool van de hedendaagse stelling van wat de Red Power Movement genoemd werd. Wij stappen om ons eigen volk bewust te maken wat tribale soevereiniteit betekent vanuit een inheemse manier van leven”

Three Native Youths Ready to Walk Across America -- Again!

Three Native American Youths ready to walk across America -- again!

Starting point Monday, Feb. 14, 2011: Gresham, Oregon, Red Sunset Park, walk 9 am to noon; after lunch runners run till sundown.

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
It is a great honor to share the news that these three Native American youths are ready to walk across America -- again! Carl 'Bad Bear' Sampson, Western Shoshone from Nevada, Lisa Peake, Ojibwe/Pomo from Turtle Island, and Craig Luther, Navajo, from Utah.
Bad Bear is already in Portland, Oregon, getting ready for the Longest Walk 3 northern route for diabetes, along with coordinator Chris Francisco, Navajo from Shiprock, N.M.
Lisa Peake, shown as she was honored in DC for making it all the way across America on the Longest Walk 2 in 2008, is ready to walk across America again.
Craig Luther, Navajo, from Sanders, Arizona, joins his fellow walkers, along with Craig's father. Luther's family now lives in Richfield, Utah.
It was an honor to make the journey with these three Native American youth walkers on the Longest Walk 2 northern route. As cohost of the Longest Walk Talk Radio, along with Govinda from Earthcycles, we shared their stories.
Each of these walkers manifest beautiful qualities under very difficult conditions, walking and running in cold and rain, through times of little food and often sleeping on the ground in wet tents. They walked up to 16 miles a day across America in 2008.

Now, crossing America again, they face severe weather in Idaho, Montana and the Dakotas in the first months. The walk brings awareness to Indian country about diabetes, and the need for wholesome foods and exercise.
Update:
With few funds and supplies, the walkers on the northern route are ready to begin.

The Longest Walk northern route Honorarium Dinner is potluck style in Portland, on Sunday, February 13, from 6 pm - 9 pm, at 4737 NE Couch Street. The ceremony to begin the walk is in Gresham, Oregon, on Monday, February 14, at 8 am. It is at Red Sunset Park, 2403 NE Red Sunset Drive. More information is available from Chris Francisco at (503) 515-6239 or Christina 'qui-qui' at (360) 241-6562
Longest Walk Northern Route for Diabetes:
http://earthbornproductions.com/LWNR3.html

Coordinator: Chris Francisco
indigenouswalkabout@yahoo.com
(503) 515-6239
Photo copyrights: Bad Bear Sampson by Quiqui of De La Luna Photography; Lisa Peake by Brenda Norrell; Craig Luther by Brita Brookes.