Longest Walk
The Longest Walk was a significant protest movement among Native Americans during the 1970s aimed at advocating for the recognition and protection of Indian treaty rights and tribal sovereignty. This five-month cross-country demonstration began with about two hundred Native Americans starting from Alcatraz Island, culminating in a gathering in Washington, DC, on July 15, 1978. The protest emerged in response to federal legislation perceived as detrimental to Indigenous rights, including proposals that threatened to restrict water rights and eliminate hunting, fishing, and treaty rights. Among the notable participants was Russell Means, a prominent figure in the American Indian Movement. The demonstrators camped at the National Mall to raise awareness among lawmakers and the public about the potential impacts of the proposed bills. Although the legislation ultimately did not pass, the Longest Walk is remembered as a symbolic victory that reinforced unity among diverse Native American tribes. The movement has left a lasting legacy, inspiring a similar commemorative walk in 2008 to continue the advocacy for Indian rights.
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Longest Walk
The Longest Walk, one of the several major American Indian protest movements of the 1970s, was an attempt to persuade the US government to recognize and protect Indian treaty rights and tribal sovereignty. The protest was a five-month cross-country demonstration by Indian people to protest federal bills in Congress that were seen as destructive of the Indians’ very existence. About two hundred Native Americans began the walk from the once Indian-occupied Alcatraz Island, in San Francisco Bay. Thousands of Indians participated along the way, ultimately arriving in Washington, DC, on July 15, 1978. One of the demonstrators was Russell Means of the American Indian Movement (AIM). The protesters set up a camp at the Mall, hoping to convince lawmakers not to pass the bills.
The pending legislation would have weakened Indian rights to land, resources, and self-government. For example, one bill proposed to limit Indian water rights, while others threatened to cancel Indian hunting and fishing rights and terminate all treaties between the United States and Indian tribes.
Congressional supporters and others assured the Indians that the anti-Indian bills would not pass. Nevertheless, they agreed with the Indian demonstrators that Congress and the American public should be aware that such legislation had been proposed. The Longest Walk was a symbolic victory for Indian people. It also demonstrated a solidarity among Indians from various tribes. A similar journey was held in 2008 to commemorate the original walk and to further promote Indian rights.
Bibliography
Cobb, Daniel M. Native Activism in Cold War America: The Struggle for Sovereignty. Lawrence: UP of Kansas, 2008. Print.
"Indian Activism." Alcatraz Is Not an Island. PBS, WGBH, 2002. Web. 11 May. 2015.
Johnson, Troy R., Joane Nagel, and Duane Champagne. American Indian Activism: Alcatraz to the Longest Walk. Urbana: U of Illinois P, 1997. Print.
"Longest Walk 2: Thirty Years After Historic Cross-Country March, Thousands Walk from San Francisco to DC for Native American Rights." Democracy Now!. Democracy Now, 10 Jul. 2008. Web. 11 May. 2015.
Wittstock, Laura Waterman, and Elaine J. Salinas. "A Brief History of the American Indian Movement." American Indian Movement. AIMGGC, n.d. Web. 11 May. 2015.