Navajo Times
The newspaper of the Navajo people
Window Rock, Navajo Nation, Arizona
Thursday May 11, 1995
Peace marchers stroll through W.R.
Global Peace Walk 1995 underway
[photo, not shown here, captioned:]
Miss Navajo Nation Karen Leuppe, center, joined members
of the Global Peace Walk Project as the walked through
Window Rock on Friday. (Times photo by Marley Shebala)
Peace marchers stroll through W.R.
Global Peace Walk 1995 underway
By Marley Shebala
Navajo Times Staff
Window Rock - World peace is a "noble effort" that everyone
should aim for, Navajo Nation President Albert Hale recently
said to the Global Peace Walk Project.
Hale's statement came in a brief letter of support to the
United Nations 50th anniversary Global Peace Walk 1995,
which recently passed through the reservation's capitol on
its way to San Francisco where they will celebrate the UN's
call for global peace from June 20 to 25.
Hale noted in his letter to the global peace walkers,
"We are spiritual people whose belief is based on the
harmoniously existence of all things of Mother Earth,
Father Sky and the universe. We are only a part of
this great creation and are not given the option for
the disharmony or displacement of other spiritual creations."
The small group of national and international walkers,
who were lead by Zen Buddhist monk Yusen Yamato,
were joined for a short time by Miss Navajo Nation Karen Leupp.
Yamato, who spoke with a heavy Japanese accent that
was sometimes difficult to understand, was very pleased
with Hale's "nice" letter, which he described as "most artistic".
The Buddhist monk explained that he initiated the cross
country walk, which started in New York City on January 15,
the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., for "our new generation".
This generation, he emphasized, needs global peace now,
which means an end to uranium mining and the nuclear industry.
According to Yamato, the atomic bombs that were dropped
on Japan were made from uranium that was mined on Navajo
lands by Navajos and then tested in New Mexico on military
people and on Shoshone land in Nevada.
And so, Yamato said, the survivors of the federal government's
nuclear activity are not just the Japanese.
He said uranium mining also is happening in Tibet and
Manchuria, where it is directly affecting traditional people,
like the American Indians.
"All around the world, nuclear testing. Why all people
should walk," Yamato said in his broken English. "Seven
hundred year old message: someday all people recognize
globe one house and have to pray for global peace."
He added that Leonard Peltier, an American Indian prisoner,
fasted for three days inside the Leavenworth, Kan., federal
penitentiary in support of the walkers. Peltier stated in a
letter to the walkers, "It pains me to witness violence
against our international neighbors as well as against
ourselves. Planting bombs in buildings is as great an
atrocity as arming and training overseas death squads.
Constructing nuclear arsenals is as devastating as saying
and doing nothing to stop their production."
Yamato said society is "taking land and life apart"
because they have no spirituality. That is why Hitler
relocated and abused Jews, he said. And it's that same
mentality that is behind the relocation of Navajos and other Indians.
Tribal Council Speaker Kelsey Begaye said the peace walkers,
by coincidence, became part of the tribal legislative branch's
first Day of Prayer last week.
Begay said the peace walkers offered prayers for
world peace. The legislative branch's support came
in the form of fried chicken, which was quickly
devoured by the walkers.
Mary Ann Ben, a teacher's assistant at Jeddito school,
also happened to be at the council chamber with about
18 fourth grader students when the walkers were there.
As she listened to Yamato talk about some of his people's
traditional teachings, ben said she realized they pray to
the Mother Earth in the same way the Navajo people do.
Their history, which involves holy beings, is similar to
Navajo history, she said. Even their hats, which have
some turquoise, are similar to the Navajo's.
I wish a Navajo was part of the group," Ben said.