Press In the News Longest Walk 2 winds through Hanover area | Longest Walk 2 winds through Hanover area |
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By STEVE MARRONI Evening Sun Reporter | Link to Original Article Launched: 07/04/2008 11:05:31 AM EDT They're walking for their own reasons. Some for the environment. Some for American Indians of the future. For others, the reasons include everything from disease to broken promises. But, it's a spiritual journey for all taking part in The Longest Walk 2. About 70 walkers will be staying at Codorus State Park this weekend as they take a brief break from their journey of more than 3,000 miles. They spent a few nights at Gifford Pinchot State Park before coming here. The Longest Walk 2 marks the 30th anniversary of the first walk, and follows a similar trail from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., said walker Paul Owns The Saber. He was part of the first walk, and the 68-year-old is going out again. The walkers started with a ceremony at Alcatraz Island in February and will end their journey in Washington, D.C., July 11. That's where they plan to express their concerns about the earth, treatment of American Indians and sacred sites, and all of the issues that inspired them to take to the road for five months. Danny Wyatt, 22, of Lake Tahoe, Nev., joined the walk when it came through Colorado. He's doing this, he said, for Mother Earth. He's also doing it for future generations. His nieces and nephews. "When I was a boy, I saw a lot of snow," he said. "Now, there's not so much snow." The weather is changing, and mankind is abusing the earth, he said. "It hurts me to see what's going on," he said. And that's why he walks. That's why he suffers the inclement weather that the Mother Earth he is trying to save throws at him. He and the rest walk. And, they pray. Besides raising awareness of their issues, spirituality plays a significant role. They pray while they walk, carrying along sacred staffs bearing feathers and trinkets from those they met along the way, as they carry their prayers and concerns along the trail. Owns The Saber has been given the honor of being one of the guardians of a sacred staff. Owns The Saber said he hates seeing what's been done to the environment. "People shouldn't have to walk across the country to voice their concerns," Owns The Saber said. These are things that should have been taken care of long ago, he said. "Our concerns are great. They affect the earth we walk on." It affects everyone, he said. He's walking for everything. The environment, health, history, art, culture and spirituality. "I'm 68 years old. I shouldn't have to do this," he said. But, he is. If government officials had listened in the first place, he said, and held to agreements of the past, his people, and all people, would not be facing imminent crisis, he said. About 70 walkers followed a route that began in San Francisco, and wound northeast toward Washington, D.C. An even larger group has the same start and end points, but is taking a southern trail. For more information, visit www.longestwalk.org. Contact Steve Marroni at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |
