Confederated Umatilla Journal - Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla ...

Longest
Walk III
draws
attention
to diabetes
in Indian
Country
CUJ News
Members and employees of the Confederated Tribes joined Longest Walk III participants with a 2.5 mile jaunt from the Nixyaawii Governance Center
to Highway 11. The northern route group, who came through the Umatilla Reservation Feb. 22 and 23, hopes to reach Washington, D.C., by July 8.
By the CUJ
MISSION – Carrying a message about
the devastation of diabetes in Indian
Country, a group of Native Americans
– part of the Longest Walk III - traveled
through the Umatilla Indian Reservation
Feb. 22-23.
They were greeted with open arms.
Running short on runners and low on
food and gas, the Confederated Tribes
came through with all three needs – and
then some - to get the crusading group
back on their way hoping to reach Washington,
D.C., by early July.
About 75 people attended a dinner
Feb. 22 at the Longhouse, where the
Longest Walk III participants received
more than a meal.
Arrowhead Travel Plaza donated $200
gas cards, Cayuse Technologies donated
money, Pepsi donated water and Gatorade
for walkers, Yellowhawk Health Commission
and the Tribes’ Board of Trustees provided
the funds for the dinner. Public Safety
donated $300 to put together backpacks
with first aid supplies and headlights, Nike
donated socks and N7 shoes, Wildhorse
game them a dinner and Walmart supplied
hygiene products. A blanket dance at the
Longhouse raised $124.
Art McConville organized the cooks
(Sandy Sampson, Michelle Thompson,
Arleta Sampson, Sean McConnell and
Angela Billy) and did some cooking of
his own. The CTUIR Fish and Wildlife
Committee donated salmon, buffalo meat
and elk for the community dinner. The
walkers were supplied with leftovers
and fresh meat to help sustain them as
they started another leg of their journey.
Chris Francisco, the coordinator for
the Longest Walk III, said he was overwhelmed
by the generosity of the Confederated
Tribes.
“I’ve never been to the Umatilla Reservation,
but I will always remember this.
My parents, my brothers, sisters are all
diabetic. I want to be active, teach our
grandchildren, future generations – show
them how to eat right, reverse diabetes.”
Following the dinner, the Longest
Walk III runners and walkers spent the
night in the modular formerly used as
Nixyaawii classrooms, before continuing
their walk on the morning of Feb. 23. A
ceremony to send them off was held in
the rotunda of the Nixyaawii Governance
Center. About 20 Tribal employees and
Tribal members, plus several Nixyaawii
School students, walked to Highway 11
– about 2.5 miles – with the campaign.
To further help with the actual walk,
McConville transported six young runners
from the Umatilla Indian Reservation
to assist in covering some of the
ground. Running a total of 63 miles, the
young runners included Wyekin Wild
Bill, Wayne Tappo Jr., Vaughn Herrera,
Caleb Herrera, Raymond Brown, and
See Longest Walk, Page 11
10 Confederated Umatilla Journal
March 2011