If you asked for my
opinion, I’d have to tell you that I would prefer to walk a mile on hot Legos
before I’d ever choose to run a marathon. But others aren’t so wary of long
distances. In 1992, massive groups of indigenous and Native Americans began to
run.
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| Elder men of a native community carry prayer staffs. |
In Native American culture, an
Eagle represents the spirit of the northern continents, while a condor
represents the south. The year of 1990 began talk of an ancient tradition of
bringing the eagle and the condor together to celebrate resources and
community. Two short years later, the Peace and Dignity Journey began for these
people. Natives from the northernmost tip of Alaska to the southern islands of
Chile began their spiritual journeys towards Central America, bearing prayer
staffs of every community. Vanessa Inaru Pastrano, a native Taino woman and the
director for the Taino community’s Journey, explained that it was a culmination
of prophecy: that “native nations will come together again.”
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| Julia Jorge, Taino, and me dressed in hand-made “fancy” regalia |
I suppose a bit of background
is necessary here. My best friend is native Taino, and I finally was able to
convince her to drag me along to “one of her Indian meetings” (a bit ignorant,
I know). We attended a Summer Solstice ceremony in Youngstown where Inaru, as
they call her, presented the Peace and Dignity Journey to those in attendance.
I was able to contact and meet with her a few days later to get more in-depth
information about the re-born tradition. The opportunity to meet with this leader
and discuss the Peace and Dignity Journey was eye-opening to say the least. Eager
to spread awareness of this event, Inaru first explained the basics. Each
tribal background had a regional leader—which was her position for the
Tainos—who organized the caravan-style community and regional runs. Each group
carried with them decorated staffs representing the prayers of each community.
These people adorn themselves in regalia, traditional clothing, and gather to
dance, sing, pray, and of course, run. For the Taino people, the Run of the
Redtail Hawk branches from New York State into Georgia and will thus follow the
Trail of Tears into Texas, a journey that Inaru estimates at about 3 weeks.
The Journey itself takes place
over a 9-month period every 4 years. The next Journey will take place in 2016,
and according to Inaru, will tentatively be themed “Original Seeds.” Starting
from the grassroots up, she emphasized that participants do not accept
corporate sponsorship and rely only on the resources and care of wherever their
journeys take them. “When we learn to respect
each other, then the love comes in”—a message truly represented by their
faith in community.
This journey, as well as all
those for other tribes, is about bringing nations together, raising awareness
of issues of the indigenous, to pray for communities, and to give young people
the opportunity to learn the traditions of their elders. And yes, non-natives
make participate as long as they have a native sponsor. “After all,” Inaru
explained, “we’re all part of the human race.”
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