Valerie Cassity - Special to the Sun

On Feb. 11, more than 250 people embarked from San Francisco, Calif. on a 4,000-mile walking journey that will ultimately end in Washington, D.C. on July 11. Their purpose is to bring attention to issues of environmental injustice, protection of sacred sites, cultural survival, youth empowerment, and eroding Native American rights.

The Longest Walk 2 is the effort of the American Indian Movement (AIM), and is occurring on the 30th anniversary of the first Longest Walk. The group will be walking through Kern County this week, going through Oildale and Bakersfield, and continuing along Hwy. 58 to Tehachapi. The walkers cover approximately 15 miles a day, and have graciously accepted the generosity of people in the communities they pass through on the spiritual journey. At the CHP shooting range on Alfred Harrell Hwy., where the group was camping for four days, the spirits were high.

The people walking are a diverse band of all ages, cultures, sizes, and socioeconomic backgrounds, but the one thing in common for all walkers was the desire to do something to help the planet and the people. 'I’ve always felt strongly about our connection to the earth, and I was at a point when I wanted to do something big and historical,' said walker Javy Romero, 27. 'If people follow our lead, we can make a difference.'

Although the walk is led by AIM and sponsored by the Native American college D&G University, it is a cross-cultural journey, where anyone who is interested and able may participate. In addition to Native Americans, the walk has a good sized contingent of Buddhist monks and nuns, as well as families and individuals who are concerned about the fate of the planet. People from all over the world have come together to be a part of this historic journey, from as far away as Poland, Mexico, and even a large group from Japan, to walk for their Mother Earth.

From the 10-year-old granddaughter of Henry Dominguez, who is walking this Longest Walk as he walked the original in 1978, to 77-year-old runner Emmett Eastman, who is running the 4,000-mile route in honor of his great-grandchildren, everyone is committed to making a difference, and in the process have created a temporary utopian society where everyone is family and everything is shared. 'We’re different colors and creeds, but we work together to help each other, encourage each other, and become unified and harmonious,' said spokesperson Larry Bringing Good, who emphasized that the walk is not a giant party, and stressed that no drugs or alcohol are allowed. 'It’s not a Mardi Gras march; it’s not about being cool but to give a message.'

There will be two walks running concurrently; the northern route will be made in the footsteps of the original Longest Walk along Highway 50, and the southern route, which is the larger of the two, will go through the southern states, stopping for two weeks in New Orleans to assist with the rebuilding effort after Hurricane Katrina. The two groups will meet in Washington, D.C. The Longest Walk southern route is being led by AIM co-founder Dennis J. Banks. 'We take up this task to walk in a manner befitting our nations. We shall walk for the Seventh Generation, for peace, for justice, for healing of Mother Earth, for the healing of our people suffering from diabetes, heart conditions and other diseases,' said Banks.

According to the group’s website, the purpose of the southern route is to continue and carry the message from the Longest Walk of 1978. That first Longest Walk was made to protest legislation, which ultimately failed, that activists say would have wiped out Indian treaties and taken away tribal hunting and fishing rights. "The Longest Walk is an Indian spiritual walk, a historical walk; it is a walk for educational awareness to the American and the world communities about the concerns of American Indian people," it states. 'The Longest Walk 2 is walking to create awareness about the environment. We are walking to protect sacred sites in our country. We are walking to promote positive change in our world.'

The Longest Walk 2 will also be launching the 'Clean Up Mother Earth Campaign,' in which participants will work together to clean up our country's highways and roads by rotating teams of walkers in picking up litter along the route. Organizers of the walk are hoping that the global effort at a grassroots level will promote harmony with our delicate environment. 'It is an extraordinary grassroots effort on a national level to bring attention to the environmental disharmony of Mother Earth, sacred site issues, and to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the original longest walk,' said webmaster and contact person Rudy Preston.

The walkers have been overwhelmed with the generosity of the human spirit wherever they have gone, and encourage others along the route to jump in and join them at any time, even if it is only for a day. They are currently in need of maps and Thomas Guides, and would like to have someone who can organize digital pictures into a page on the website. For more information on Longest Walk 2, go to www.longestwalk.org or call Gali at (510) 827-6719.