Post by blackcrowheart on Sept 12, 2006 11:19:03 GMT -5
Nome Cult Walk re-enactment kicks off six days of retracing footsteps of ancestors
By SARAH KINGSBURY - Staff Writer
The Nome Cult Walk kicked off Saturday with traditional Indian music and dance at Bidwell Mansion.(Sarah Kingsbury/Enterprise-Record)
The Nome Cult Walk kicked-off Saturday at the Bidwell Mansion, the 11th year for the re-enactment of the forced relocation of Indians from the region.
Participants begin walking today at the Indian fisheries near the Sacramento River and will trek for six days to what was then known as the Nome Cult farm, and is now called the Round Valley reservation.
"We're retracing the footsteps of our ancestors, hoping to erase some of the pain and anguish that happened to our people," said Coyote, an American Indian at Saturday's kickoff for the event.
Coyote -- whose grandfather was counted among those relocated -- has walked in the event every year since it began in 1995.
In 1863, 461 Indians were forced to relocate to the Nome Cult Reservation in Round Valley after the murders of two white children stirred anti-Indian sentiments throughout the region.
A total of 277 Indians completed the journey after they were marched nearly 100 miles across the Sacramento Valley.
The Nome Cult Walk was originally re-enacted 11 years ago after a group of about 20 people gathered to honor the historical event.
"There were very open, very hard feelings" at the first meeting, said Phebe Brown, public affairs officer for the Mendocino National Forest, the site of one of the most grueling parts of the trail. Brown was one of the original 20.
The walk became a "healing experience" for native and other participants, she said.
The kick-off on Saturday allowed a chance for community members and Indians to gather "in a way that they would be comfortable," said Vicki Shively, community health director of the Northern Valley Indian Health Clinic.
The clinic was invited to co-host the kick-off with the Mechoopda Indian Tribe two years ago to work with the Indian community to fight diabetes, she explained.
Several displays on Saturday offered information about foods with high sugar content and the benefits of wellness programs.
Saturday also gave community members a chance to witness traditional Indian music and dance.
"We dance for the children," said Kristina Sanchez, founder of the Black Moccasin Society, an organization that provides youth an opportunity to learn traditional Indian values through dance, crafts and regalia.
Children aging from 1 to 11 years old participated in the group Saturday, as well as a few adult leaders.
"When we were growing up as kids, we never had these experiences," said Jason Simmons, an adult leader in the group. "We're trying to keep traditions alive."
Added 11-year-old Lindsay Seger, "We dance in body and spirit."
About 50 participants are expected to re-enact the historical trek this week. The tribes welcome the public to join them along the route.
By SARAH KINGSBURY - Staff Writer
The Nome Cult Walk kicked off Saturday with traditional Indian music and dance at Bidwell Mansion.(Sarah Kingsbury/Enterprise-Record)
The Nome Cult Walk kicked-off Saturday at the Bidwell Mansion, the 11th year for the re-enactment of the forced relocation of Indians from the region.
Participants begin walking today at the Indian fisheries near the Sacramento River and will trek for six days to what was then known as the Nome Cult farm, and is now called the Round Valley reservation.
"We're retracing the footsteps of our ancestors, hoping to erase some of the pain and anguish that happened to our people," said Coyote, an American Indian at Saturday's kickoff for the event.
Coyote -- whose grandfather was counted among those relocated -- has walked in the event every year since it began in 1995.
In 1863, 461 Indians were forced to relocate to the Nome Cult Reservation in Round Valley after the murders of two white children stirred anti-Indian sentiments throughout the region.
A total of 277 Indians completed the journey after they were marched nearly 100 miles across the Sacramento Valley.
The Nome Cult Walk was originally re-enacted 11 years ago after a group of about 20 people gathered to honor the historical event.
"There were very open, very hard feelings" at the first meeting, said Phebe Brown, public affairs officer for the Mendocino National Forest, the site of one of the most grueling parts of the trail. Brown was one of the original 20.
The walk became a "healing experience" for native and other participants, she said.
The kick-off on Saturday allowed a chance for community members and Indians to gather "in a way that they would be comfortable," said Vicki Shively, community health director of the Northern Valley Indian Health Clinic.
The clinic was invited to co-host the kick-off with the Mechoopda Indian Tribe two years ago to work with the Indian community to fight diabetes, she explained.
Several displays on Saturday offered information about foods with high sugar content and the benefits of wellness programs.
Saturday also gave community members a chance to witness traditional Indian music and dance.
"We dance for the children," said Kristina Sanchez, founder of the Black Moccasin Society, an organization that provides youth an opportunity to learn traditional Indian values through dance, crafts and regalia.
Children aging from 1 to 11 years old participated in the group Saturday, as well as a few adult leaders.
"When we were growing up as kids, we never had these experiences," said Jason Simmons, an adult leader in the group. "We're trying to keep traditions alive."
Added 11-year-old Lindsay Seger, "We dance in body and spirit."
About 50 participants are expected to re-enact the historical trek this week. The tribes welcome the public to join them along the route.