by Valarie
Lee
The
Farmington Daily Times
13 June 2004
FARMINGTON
— On June 18, 1868, thousands of Navajo people were
released from Fort Sumner, to began making their way
back to their beloved land, Dinetah.
That
journey would forever be remembered by the Navajo people
as the Long Walk and despite plans by the U.S. Peace
Commissioners to relocate the Navajo to the lower
Arkansas territory, the Navajo insisted on going back
home to their own land.
Now,
136 years later, the Diné Nation Bikers want to hold a
memorial biker run to honor the history of the Long Walk
by going back to Fort Sumner.
The
DNB says there are many reasons why they are doing this.
“We
want to help educate people about the plight that Navajo
people endured and to honor their memory,” said Etta
Arviso, co-coordinator of the run.
Harold
Hoskie of Newcomb said his reasons are personal.
“Part
of my interest is my great-grandma was a part of the
Long Walk, for that reason, I’m interested in going.”
While
the event is being toted as a biker run, that shouldn’t
stop anyone from joining the run.
“You
can travel by motorcycle, car or bus, whatever, this is
about experiencing an important part of our history and
culture,” said Irvin Tsosie, co-coordinator of the “Hweeldi
Beenilniih” run.
“We
want all people to feel free to ask questions and
observe,” Tsosie said.
The
group has no intention of turning this into a yearly
event.
“This
is not going to be an annual thing. We’re not playing
around with this because we need to stay reverent to who
we are,” said Kathy Johnson, co-coordinator for the
event, “and we need to be reverent to those spirits
because we come from those spirits.”
The
group also feels it may become too commercialized and
lose its significance.
“I
think people shouldn’t go there all the time. It may
become like Grand Central Station, if people go there
all the time,” Tsosie said.
For
Mae Tsosie, the journey back is a tribute to those who
suffered and an opportunity to share with others the
culture and history of the Navajo people.
“We
are a legacy of survivors and we want to educate the
younger generations, even for ourselves, we don’t
really know the history about what actually happened.”
Mae
Tsosie has been to Fort Sumner before and wonders if
others will experience some of what she went through.
“When
we went there, I wasn’t really prepared,” Mae Tsosie
said, “our people endured hardship and terrible
treatment and if it wasn’t for their sacrifice, I
wouldn’t be here today.”
Mae
Tsosie was also surprised at the flat emptiness of the
site. There’s no evidence of what horrific events took
place over the course of four years, nor evidence of
some of the 2,000 people who were buried there — in
unmarked graves.
The
only official records people can read today come from
the government or oral history taken from the
grandchildren ... passed along verbally or in books.
Mae
Tsosie said no one really knows what happened and that’s
part of the reason for the biker run. Even with fellow
Navajo people discouraging the group about going back.
“When
I mentioned Hweeldi (Fort Sumner), they would say, ‘eeee-yah,’
meaning scary or don’t go back there. I don’t feel
what we’re doing is bad,” said Mae Tsosie
“So,
to the critic, we say, our group is focused on the
positive benefits and our intentions are good.”
“It’s
a natural healing process and a part of closure. We want
to respect their memory and to offer prayers, not only
for them but for all Navajo people,” added Johnson.
Johnson
has never been to Fort Sumner but knows the history
through reading books. She said she is looking forward
to actually seeing where they lived and what the
landscape is like. She also knows it is going to be
emotional.
“We
expect to be touched with the spirits, to communicate
with them and let them know were here with reverence and
to offer prayers,” Johnson said.
Even
though there are plenty of critics and supporters both,
Fort Sumner is a part of the history of the Navajo
people and considered a sacred site by some.
“A
rebirth happened there. We lost a lot of our Navajo
people, yet we lived and we continued on and that should
be remembered. In a way, our battles continue even
today,” said Johnson, who cited education
deficiencies, federal funding and the loss of speaking
the Navajo language by the younger generation, as
repercussions of the Long Walk.
The
group nods in agreement with Johnson, as Mae Tsosie
expounds a little more. “Back when I was younger, I
tried to ask questions (about her culture) and I was
scolded or chastised. We wanted to learn more about our
heritage.”
That
experience was empowering for Mae Tsosie and she in
return encourages Navajo youth to keep asking questions.
“If
anyone has questions, keep asking,” Mae Tsosie said,
“continue with: ‘ Why did this happen?’ or ‘What
happened and why has our nation evolved into what we are
today?’”
There
will be two groups leaving Friday. The Kirtland group
will depart at 9 a.m. at Cafe 550 and go through Cuba.
The
Fort Defiance, Ariz., group will meet at the Scouts
Football Fieldhouse and leave at 9 a.m.
The
two groups are scheduled to arrive late in the afternoon
to set up camp. A healing ceremony, open discussions,
and story sharing/telling will take place in the
evening.
On
Saturday, the group plans on leaving Fort Sumner early
in the morning and return back to Window Rock, Ariz., in
time for a cleansing ceremony, supper and gourd dancing.
Information:
Irvin Tsosie (505) 598-1273, or Leonard Reeder, (928)
871-2251.
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