Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

After attending the Gathering of Condolence, Peace & Strength in Cass Lake, Minnesota on June 18 – 23, Sahonwese Elijah, a Mohawk of Akwesasne, set out to accomplish his own dream to participate in the Peace and Dignity Journey 2012.  A young man who is well known for his gift as a runner, and whose bloodline, through his Oneida ancestry, traces many well-known runners throughout Haudenosaunee history has participated in cross-country races throughout elementary, junior and high school, winning many medals.  He has also participated in the Unity Runs for four years consecutively when they came through and left Haudenosaunee territory.

Organizing for the Peace & Dignity Journeys sacred run is currently underway in various places across the North and South American continents. Since the last run in 2008, there have been critical discussions at several gatherings and correspondence with elders and communities of the North. The main theme among these discussions was to dedicate the 2012 run for water. The proposal was taken to the South and has been supported by the Condor nation.

Water is currently under worldwide threat from contamination by toxic substances, and rapidly disappearing from national geographic locations. Glaciers, rivers, lakes, entire oceans are being poisoned by the constant harm of corporate self-interest. The lack of consideration for future generations, which include all living organisms, is leading to the possible extinction of species that are necessary for the survival of all human beings.

It is now our responsibility, the Eagle nations of the North, to manifest the prophecy, which our ancestors left for us to keep alive.  We must meet our Condor relatives of the South halfway and not allow water to be contaminated from mining, oil drilling, nuclear waste and not to be privatized within plastic bottles or behind concrete dams.

Water is critical and necessary to the daily life of all human beings, but it is also an equally powerful element, which private companies can use to control our lives with. We must organize our communities towards a movement that will restore equal access to clean water for all, while at the same time ensuring that the water does not become private property for the personal profit of a few.  We must remind all those who have forgotten the importance of water that this naturally occurring element is the shared resource of all human beings.  To learn how you can participate in the 2012 journey, visit us on our website: http://www.peaceanddignityjourneys.com.    

Peace and Dignity Journeys are spiritual runs that embody the prophecy of the Eagle and the Condor.  This prophecy mandates that at this time, all Indigenous Peoples in the Western Hemisphere shall be reunited in a spiritual way in order to heal our nations so we can begin to work towards a better future for our children, and generations to come.  Through the journey, participant runners and supporters work to accomplish this goal by helping each other reconnect to their respective spiritual practices and traditions; by helping each other relearn our role in the world as Indigenous Peoples; and by reminding each other of our responsibilities to Mother Earth, Father Sky, our communities, and ourselves.  

  On Saturday July 28, an Indian Taco/Craft Sale will be sponsored by the Akwesasne Youth Leadership Group on Route 37 Akwesasne at Lenora and Ida’s Sewing. This is a fundraising effort to assist Sahonwese while he is running with the Peace & Dignity Journey 2012.  He is currently running from Duluth, Minnesota and is expected to arrive in Chicago, Illinois on August 6.  Any help is appreciated.