IN THE LONG RUN: Cross-Country Journey Spreads Sacred Message
Posted on: Wednesday, 15 February 2006, 12:00 CST
By Tracie Troha
ight Ridder/Tribune Business News
Feb. 15--A group of international runners arrived in the High Desert on Tuesday for a brief stop in their 4,000-mile journey across the country to spread the message that life is sacred. The runners were participating in the International Sacred Run, an annual event to promote peace and preserve the environment. The runners began their journey on Feb. 11 at Alcatraz Island and will travel across 12 states. They plan to arrive in Washington, D.C., on April 22 to celebrate Earth Day. The local organization Voices of Indigenous People hosted the runners' overnight stay in Apple Valley at the Lone Wolf Colony. They treated the runners to a special Native American drum ceremony in honor of their mission. Voices member Shirley Barra said the ceremony consisted of many elements, beginning with a blessing of the ground.
"Then a fire pit is built in special way. Certain people are 'fire tenders' and offerings are made," Barra said. Drummers then gathered around a large drum and played together in unison. "It's quite an interesting ceremony," Barra said. Barra said some of the runners hail from Japan, Australia and Canada and represent different religions. The International Sacred Run has taken place for the past 26 years, but this is the first time it traveled through the High Desert. The run was inspired by the Native American tradition of communicating news and information to remote villages through long-distance runners. In addition to promoting peace and the environment, the group is also raising support for preservation of sacred/historic burial sites and hurricane recovery. Tracie Troha can be reached at 955-5358 or at ttroha@vvdailypress.com. From Here: -- Back to today's news -- News Archive -- Join the discussion at the community forum
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Copyright (c) 2006, Daily Press, Victorville, Calif.
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Source: Daily Press - Victorville, California
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