Longest Walk 2008 in Fallon -- American Indian Spiritual Walk for Survival Welcomed

Fallon Indian Tribe Welcomes the American Indian Spiritual Walk for Survival “Longest Walk 2”

Wednesday, February 20, 2008 Contacts:
For Immediate Release Jimbo Simmons 
Ricardo Tapia 
Mari Villaluna 
www.longestwalk.org

By Longest Walk 2 Northern Route Organizers

A Direct Call for Action for the Protection of Mother Earth and our Sacred Sites

FALLON, Nevada (2008) -- On Wednesday, February 20th, the Northern Route of the Longest Walk 2 has been invited to stand in solidarity with Fallon Indian Reservation about sacred sites, such as Grimes Point and Sand Mountain. The Longest Walk 2 is a trans-continental spiritual walk for environmental protection and Native American rights. Participants are on a five- month journey on foot from San Francisco and will arrive in Washington, D.C. on July 11, 2008.
“Longest Walk 2 embraces the struggle in solidarity with Nevada Natives fighting to keep their sacred sites and in protecting Mother Earth” said Jimbo Simmons, National Coordinator of Northern Route of The Longest Walk 2. “The issues of protection of the sacred sites of Sand Mountain, Grimes Point, and Fox Peak are crucial issues to the Paiute-Shoshone people, and they have asked us to stand in solidarity with them.” he continued.
“There are many sacred sites around here… There is Fox Peak and that is where a lot of our creation stories began,.. There is also Grimes Point which used to be an old Indian trail and Sand Mountian” said Buck Sampson, (Paiute-Shoshone) Spiritual Advisor for the Nevada Inter-Tribal Council.
Keishia Tom, a Paiute youth, age 10, stated, “Fox Peak… Indians came out of that. Some of the Indian’s lived in the caves (Grimes Point) behind the mountain (Sand Mountain). The Indians were the first people on this land and their spirit is in the writing of the rocks and some times inside the caves and even in our sacred places.”
The Longest Walk 2 of 2008 is stopping in communities all across Turtle Island. Longest Walk participants will listen to Native peoples concerns, document and deliver them to US officials in DC. This walk consists of Indigenous peoples from North, South, and Central America, as well as people from Europe and Asia. 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, over 30,000 people converged on the Nations capitol to oppose and successfully defeated 11 pieces of legislation in Congress that would have terminated Native American Tribes.
Our participants will be welcomed with a potluck dinner and traditional Paiute-Shoshone dances that were supported and lead by tribal members of the Nation. We will be continuing our journey to Washington, D.C. through Fallon, Nevada and with the permission of the people we will be learning about the local sacred sites to the Paiute-Shoshone people and then taking this information to Washington, D.C.
*Media: High Resolution Photos of all events available upon request

Good morning from Lake Tahoe and the Longest Walk Northern Route

A beautiful day for the walkers and runners yesterday over Echo Pass. The sun was shining, the temperature in the 50s. Our Navajo Ute runner Willie Lonewolf put on snowshoes for the first time, and make part of the journey on top of the huge snowbanks because there was no place to run on the side of the winding mountain road. At Strawberry, a small store donated hot dogs and beans for the 80 walkers and runners going up the Sierra Nevadas. Washoe have joined us here for prayers. They have made special requests for the bears, coming down from the mountains and being shot by residents. The bears have been coming down the mountain for water because of the global warming and lack of water on top.
Please join us dancers, singers and community members:
Tomorrow, Monday, Feb. 18:
Social Gathering and Powwow
2 pm
Carson Colony Gym
Carson City
Listen live to us, at http://www.earthcycles.net/
10 am to 2 pm (check schedules for time changes)
Join us for any length of time, Hwy 50 east, headed to Western Shoshone.
On the Longest Walk Northern Route, Brenda Norrell

Good morning from the Longest Walk, northern route at Pollock Pines, Calif.

Long distance runners on the Longest Walk Northern Route ran into Pollock Pines, California late Friday, with snow piled high on the sides of the road. Incredible fortitude by Miwok, Cheyenne-Arapaho, Washoe and Japanese runners, who each ran 10 to 15 miles at a stretch up the cold mountain. The runners are now headed to Lake Tahoe and will stop for prayer at a burial ground near Strawberry. We are in high country now, but the sun is shining today. The food has been wonderful from the Miwok Nation at Shingle Springs. The Pollock Pines Community Center gave us a warm place to sleep.
Thanks to all of you for the contributions of warm clothing. The runners still need thermal underwear, large and extra large, 0-degree sleeping bags and camping mats to sleep on.
Thanks to the Miwok Nation, we have plenty of water and snacks. The Longest Walk northern route will arrive in Carson City, Nevada, late Sunday night. There will be a powwow in Carson City on Monday.
There have been prayers, blessings and sweatlodges the last few days and everyone on the northern route is focused on the sacred gift of the walk and healing for their familes, communities and Mother Earth. Listen to us live 10 am to 2 pm:
http://www.earthcycles.net/
On the Longest Walk, northern route, Brenda Norrell

Longest Walk 2, Live from DQ

We're broadcasting live from the Longest Walk 2 at DQ tonight. We'll have the steady stream going by Monday night:
http://www.earthcycles.net/