Councilmember Nosie said he and other opponents have been fighting against different versions of the land-swap bill since 2002. All failed until Sen. McCain tucked the rider into the must-pass bill.
Members of the caravan began their trek with a sacred run on July 5 and the convoy began the 2,200-mile journey through Colorado, Minnesota, Ilinois and New York, he said. The caravan was hosted by the Jicarilla Apache Nation in New Mexico, participated in events with the American Indian Movement of Colorado and the Four Winds American Indian Council and gathered support from several tribal reservations.
The demonstrators marched from the White House to the Capitol, where for about three hours they invoked the spirits of their ancestors, sang, drummed, participated in solemn but vibrant prayer ceremonies. To date, almost one million people have signed petitions demanding that the federal government take its hands off Native American land.
“I think coming here doesn’t divert from our focus on the spiritual,” Councilmember Nosie said. “On the trip, I found that we’re not the only ones suffering. Every race is being challenged and suffering. The confinement we have on the reservation is the same. I’m grateful that we came here spiritually. The country needs us.”