The Longest Walk Ends
They started at Alcatraz on February 11th.
Five months. Two routes. Over 4,000 miles. From sea to shining sea.
On foot.
175 days (4200hrs.) ago walkers from all over Indian country as well as international allies embarked on a journey that carried them through rain, snow, and even a tornado.
Two paths were taken to make the journey, both a Northern and Southern route, in order to bring awareness to and address environmental and sacred sites protection, cultural survival, youth empowerment and Native American rights.
Thousands of walkers, which included new born babies and elders in their 90s, representing more than 100 Nations joined the Walk along the way. The Navajo (Dine’ Nation), Hopi, Apache, Havasupai, Tunica-Biloxi, Anishinaabeg, Wintun, Hualapai, Lakota, Six Nations, Ute, Washo, and many others as well as representatives from New Zealand, Germany, Japan, Italy, Holland, Poland comprised the diverse Walk. As they walked they picked up more than 8,000 bags of trash on the roads they traveled.
Today, The Longest Walk arrived in Washington, DC and delivered their message to Congress:
At 2 o’clock today The Longest Walk will reach the steps of the US capitol. Walk representatives will meet with House Judiciary Chair, US Representative John Conyers (D-MI) to deliver a ‘Manifesto for Change‘ [pdf ] along with the original manifesto [pdf ] from the 1978 Longest Walk which had initially been refused by Congress.
If you’re in DC or are close enough to drive down, join the Walkers on the National Mall tomorrow and Sunday. There will be a powwow at the National Museum of the American Indian over both days, followed by concerts. [Schedule of events.]
Oh, and keep an eye out for this guy:
Photo by Brita Brooks, courtesy of The Longest Walk
If you spot him, tell him his biggest sister loves him.
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“I don’t have an agenda, I don’t have a program. I’m not a communist or a socialist. I guess I’m a left-libertarian and a populist, and I believe in the Bill of Rights the way some folks believe in the Bible.”
– Molly Ivins, 1944-2007
Stats
The Lady Speaks 
Tell him his Mom Loves him and Misses him, too.
This walk proves that the American Spirit is bruised, but it is not dead.
One of the greatest days of my life was the day the walkers came into my little town of Williams Az. White out snow that was unexpected came just as they were getting in. A mager accident happend on I-40 that killed 7 and hurt many more. Over 150 cars in all. The walkers came in that night so tierd but when they heard this awfull news we gatherd in our cercle and we prayed for all the familys that were touched by this tragedy. It happend about 25 miles from where we all were. The next day they all came to my house and spent the night,all 100 of them.The 2 weeks they all spent in the northern Arizona area was the most inspierd,uplifting time for myself and my whole family. We will never forget any of them. The native way of life will never die!
Liz: Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing that! The warmth, generosity, and genuine caring of all the people and towns they passed through was inspiring to my brother and the rest of the Walkers.