May 1st

We are starting our run tomorrow in Chickloon, AK.  A beautiful community surrounded by snow covered mountains!  From there we will make our way down the Alaskan Highway into the Yukon.  Prayers to the runners and all who are making this happen!  It's going to be beautiful!  Tlazo!

Healing

Alcoholism, drug usage, and chronic health sickness (specifically diabetes) have found their way into Indigenous living.  Traveling through various reservation and non-reservation communities has presented these issues by way of streets, schools, and ceremonies.  The streets are littered with drunken native people.  They look like zombies walking on the side of the road in the night­­- sad and lost.  During the day they are angry and hopeless.  It is no wonder communities are scared for their children.  So many have lost their connection to the land and culture.

This run of peace and dignity knows the importance of healing.  It strives to make human beings aware of their environment.  Not only aware, but to have a relationship with the earth.  It’s not only about taking from her.  It’s also about taking care of her through prayer and song.  One’s connection to the earth is incredibly important.  There are many scholarly writings proving this importance- statistics and psychological diagnostics explaining native behavior in reaction to the government’s taking of the land.  But my elders know this.  They have seen it and been through it.  It wasn’t until they remembered ceremony and their connection to the earth that they were able to heal.  This run will help heal those who run and those it touches in one way or another.

First Day to Alaska

It was almost instantaneous that our adventure began soon after our departure.  We were on the road for a couple of hours when the front right tire to one of our vans started wobbling really hard.  We had to stop and switch it out for the spare.  However a grand 10 minutes later the tread exploded from the spare, forcing us to replace it with the spare from the other van.  This was a huge setback.  We needed to be in Oregon that evening.  With no spares we couldn’t take the risk. 

Luckily, we were saved by the Wintu community of Redding, CA.  They gave us a place to sleep and filled our bellies with such little notice of our arrival.  We were blessed to camp in their newly constructed ceremonial grounds next to the river.  Everyone felt as if we were meant to stop there and share songs, prayers and laughs.  A man named Jim also bought us 5 new tires to continue on our journey!  It was truly something.

I can’t help but think that this is only the beginning.  We will be moving from community to community and each community has the goal to help us carry those prayers to Guatemala.  I have never seeing such a widespread commitment by so many communities segregated from one another.  It’s simply amazing.  This run connects them once again.  I am beyond grateful to be a part of it.

La Despedida

My family came to me in support on the roughest day I had preparing for the run.  I had only a few hours before left to attend the preparation ceremony for the runners in San Diego.  As I was waiting for my last paycheck, which never came that day, I was frantically searching to find my camera charger and my passport.  Once I realized I had accidently recycled my passport amongst piles of papers a few months earlier, I was instantly defeated.  I needed it to pass through Canada, Mexico and Guatemala.  Without it I was stuck.  I began thinking to myself that it was a sign I shouldn’t go.  Financially and emotionally speaking, there were and are many reasons for me to stay and take care of my present life at home.  So when this happened, I wanted to call it all off.  Giving up was simply easier.

But a few minutes later my family started knocking on the door to spend time and see me off.  They were specifically dropping their normal Thursday happenings to come support me.  I couldn’t just give up.  I couldn’t imagine disappointing them.  I talked with a few of my tías and with laughter, hugs, and soothing words, I calmed down and knew everything would work out.  (And it did.  I was able to expedite a new passport and received it yesterday afternoon!)

That night I received words, good words– words of wisdom and of gold.  I may not be able to recollect each phrase word for word, but I remember the emotions.  I remember the feeling of comfort, stability, pride, and faith.  My body remembers and with that I can confidently say that when situations present themselves, I’ll remember those words and I’ll know what to do. 

In all, I know I’m never alone on this journey.