In 2013, five teenagers and one adult, members of the Cree Nation living near Hudson Bay, began a walk to Ottawa, the capital of Canada, to draw attention to broken treaties while fostering unity among the first nations. By the time they reached Ottawa, 68 days later, there were 270 walkers and they were greeted by thousands. They started in frigid January and arrived in March.
You can read more about it in these two articles:
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/the-journey-of-the-people
Their winter trek has inspired youth activism and has also been credited with helping change the relationship between the Canadian tribes and the government.
Native Americans have been using meaningful walks like this for a long time. Back in the 1970s, a group walked from California to Washington DC to draw attention to Native rights. There’s a great read about this on The Conversation’s web sit.
I’m deeply moved by these walks, particularly for how they “restore first-hand knowledge of place” as Meaghan Weatherdon, Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies, University of San Diego put it in her article for “The Conversation.”
I also can’t help feel the echos of suffering from the Trail of Tears, the forced displacement of thousands of Native Americans from the 1830s to the 1850s as their lands were taken from them.
I’m appreciated being inspired to look for learning opportunities by Nation American Heritage Month.
Susan Palmer's Exquisite Now 