Earth Equity News

Activists' Cross-Country Walk Concludes in Washington, D.C. By Sean Maher, Oakland Tribune, July 15, 2008. "A cadre of Bay Area American Indian activists and their supporters completed a five-month walk [called the Longest Walk 2] across the country Friday, arriving in Washington D.C. to demand Congress address environmental issues and the safety of sacred Native sites. Hundreds of people made most of the walk, enduring mountain snows and desert heat and narrowly avoiding natural disasters, said organizer Ricardo Tapia. 'Kansas City got hit by a tornado while our people were just sleeping on the other side of the river,' Tapia said. 'Three people were killed.' Tapia said about 50 people made the entire journey, which began after a ceremony on Alcatraz Island in February. Yaynicut Franco, 20, said she walked with the group and drafted a manifesto including 16 resolutions, which walkers presented to Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich. at the U.S. Capitol building Friday... The journey also served to commemorate the first such walk, which activists undertook in 1978."