Statements From Dine’ Elders On Black Mesa, March 2002

I wonder if you can understand what these people have been facing over all these years. Some people lose their lives over the worrying–and so the government is doing the reduction. The main old story always starts from this executive order that’s been drawn in 1882 up through 1960, then they start working on this territory and gotten so many names and numbers here on our alter. Mainly I’ve been thinking about the Long Walk all the way to New Mexico and when they were over there nobody got the notice for this executive order to be drawn. The main issue I got in mind is that they have never been taught how the Great Spirit been set the Navajo between these four sacred mountains with the song and prayer, with all the relations, with all living beings. So I need for people to turn around and know that this is the Dine’ room. The Hogan is between the four sacred mountains, for that reason I’ve been comparing the Long Walk and the Longest Walk. The Longest Walk was made from San Francisco to Washington D.C. A lot of elders been along on that and because they hear about us being arrested for cutting the fences and soon they told us we should have the Sundance here to help us out with that. So I’ve been comparing these and thinking that it needs to be renewed. Because we are still walking –we need to renew back and let people live the way they been living before. Have them fill their hearts and rejoice again because they’re sad and worried and we’re loosing a lot of elders still because of being told you’ve got to do, do, do. So let the people and the land be free and our alter. This is our alter we are living on. Read more