Sacred Sites Peacewalk for a Nuclear Free World
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 11:01PM 
Is it a matter of trying to remember, or wanting to remember, the peacewalk from the gates of Diablo Canyon? I wonder exactly where they are right now — and who has come and gone. That's one reason I'm so interested in what Janine will find. Janine's a young filmmaker who has flown from Maine to do the whole walk. And I find myself wondering what stories — and what story — she'll find. One thing she wants to find is her own political voice. That seems a story of our times. But maybe it's a story for every time.
Fred Collins of the Northern Chumash and Louise Dunlap, one of the organizers of the walk.
One of the paper cranes that was part of our prayer offerings at the gate.
Filmmaker Janine Parziale from Maine.
Megu Iwate of Japan, who recently did a peacewalk in her native land to honor the people of Fukushima. She's walking here as well to help Californians remember the many parallels between Diablo Canyon and Fukushima.
As the Sacred Sites Peacewalk press release says,
"The walkers will walk 15-18 miles a day looking into the safety of land and people along their route, the still-present danger of nuclear weapons, the poisonous nuclear fuel cycle and how to end the nuclear nightmare in California and worldwide."
SLO Mothers for Peace have been diligent, steady caretakers of this issue since 1973.
Chief Harry Goodwolf Kindness, of the Mohawk/Oneida tribe, drove from Las Vegas to make the whole walk, too.
Miwok elder Wounded Knee.
Some of the people in this walk have walked across this continent — and on many other continents as well.
And some are making their first peacewalk.
"500 mile" spirit runners, with great dedication and experience in such ventures, are accompanying the walk.
San-ji, one of the two leaders of the walk, is a Japanese Buddhist monk now from Bainbridge Island in Washington. San-ji has done peacewalks around the world.
Jun-san Yasuda is the other leader of the walk. She is a member of the Buddhist "walking" order of Nipponzan Myohoji, and she has been honored with a white eagle feather and the Lakota name "Walks Far Woman."
As her friend Dennis Banks says of Jun-san's order: "...their only mission is to walk and to pray for peace. Maybe when the last nuclear bomb is dismantled and the last treaty is signed, maybe then they can rest and quietly meditate."
If you click here, you'll be led to more details of the Sacred Sites Peacewalk. But already you can notice that the peacewalk will be in Santa Cruz on Saturday, October 29; in San José at the San José Peace and Justice Center on Sunday evening, October 30; then in Berkeley for a potluck and discussion facilitated by Buddhist teacher and environmental activist Joanna Macy on Friday, November 4 — just to mention some of the timing of the walk.
Contact phone # of the walkers en route: 805-234-1769. You can learn updated arrival times — and where and when to meet or join the walk — at this number.
Reader Comments (1)
The SF American Indian Film Festival starts Friday. Every day Native films will be shown, with audiences every day through Nov. 12th.
It would be good if somehow the two events could be joined. The very approachable Michael is the director of the event.