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Anne Weiss, a singer/songwriter from Portland, joined the walk for a couple days and learned a Tibetan freedom song composed by Ani la. A few years ago Anne had the honor of working with Ngawang Choephel. Then in 1995 Ngawang traveled to Tibet to film traditional dance and music and was detained and sentanced to 18 years in Chinese prison on faulty espionage charges. Ann continues to dedicate her music to Ngawang and to seek his release.

An element of the walk that, for me, is most inspiring is the idea that this action we undertake - to walk from point A to point B talking about Tibet to as many people who will listen - creates a ripple that is felt around the world. And, for the most part, we have no idea how far this ripple travels or how it might motivate others to get involved. We see the direct results: people attending rallies and presentations, some joining the march for a day or two, the guy driving by in his car the other day holding up the Tacoma newspaper showing us our picture on the back page, but what is happening out there of which we haven't a clue? For instance, when the members of ITIM met Ama Adhe on her book tour last fall she told us of refugees, fresh out of Tibet, who were inspired by the knowledge that people were walking in America for Tibetan independence. We cannot know all the names and all the faces, the dreams and the visions, and all the ways this walk inspires, but sometimes we are clued into the thread that we are - weaving together communities, ideas, hope and motivation.

Another example culminated today. A couple of days ago the walking route meandered through the Nisqually Indian Reservation bringing to mind the painfully similar treatment of the Native Americans by the United States government to that of the Tibetan people by the PRC. Nothing of particular interest happened that we were aware of. Some days are like that. We just keep on walking.

A few days later a man came out to greet us and joined in our prayer circle that begins each days walk. This man, a Jesuit priest and Catholic Worker who goes by the name Father Bix, had been featured the day before on the front page of the Seattle Times. The headline read, 'Paying the price for protest: Prison awaits 69-year-old Jesuit priest from Tacoma.' Father Bix is awaiting sentencing on a charge of malicious destruction of government property during a protest in November against the controversial U.S. Army's School of Americas at Fort Benning, Ga. The protest marked the eighth anniversary of the slayings of six Jesuit priests at the University of Central America in El Salvador. Father Bix and others claim that those who killed the priests where trained by this military school which they say use manuals that teach torture and advocate executions and other forms of coercion. Father Bix told me, "You have to take the consequences of the action that you are doing. In my case it is prison time. I don't think it's just, but I pray I never be submissive to the kind of a law that legalizes the exportation of violence, murder and mayhem. At this age, I'm not looking forward to jail. I'm maybe looking at 18 months, but I'll do it and do it with a real feeling of solidarity with people in Columbia and Mexico who are being slaughtered because of the policies of this country. It's a very centering thing for me to feel that."

So there we stood in the parking lot of a Texaco station in the crossroad town of Roy, Washington, a group of people attempting to fulfill the vision of Taktser Rinpoche that people around the world will walk peacefully for Tibetan independence, and we are being greeted by another spiritual leader dedicated to social justice, compassion and community. Father Bix tells us that we have unknowingly nearly completed a vision of his, "I had been wanting to do this walk, from the Nisqually flats to Chief Leschi's grave in Tacoma, and it was something that I just couldn't get together for some reason. Then I discovered about the walk of Free Tibet and that you have just come up the route that I had wanted to travel for the last year and a half. I could just join in the last leg of it. I'm honored to do this. Things like this delight me and please me. You've done it. I'm deeply thankful for this day. Just deeply thankful." Plans were made to slightly divert our route the following day to visit the grave of Chief Leschi.

On the way to the grave site Pastor Walters of the Bethlehem Lutheran church opened the church doors to the walkers offering us a sheltered spot for lunch and the opportunity to meet other members of the Tacoma spiritual community. The Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist church, a nun of the Dominican Sisters order and a member of the Associated Ministries welcomed us and were eager to learn about the situation in Tibet, Inner Mongolia and Eastern Turkistan.

At the grave site Father Bix told the story of Chief Leschi to the walkers.

"As the encroachment of the white man continued into this area,the Native people tried to live with peace among the people. Then came the time when the territorial governor, Isaac Stevens, on orders from Washington DC tried to sign treaties with all of the tribes in this area. So, down where you passed over Nisqually is where they signed the Treaty of Medicine Creek. Thirteen fishing tribes gathered there in the Nisqually flats. They had no idea what was really happening, but in effect the treaty wanted them to deed over their lands and in turn they would be given a small reservation land. Often, these treaties would move the tribes away from their sacred rivers which served as their livelihood. The only one who would not sign the treaty was Leschi and he encouraged the rest to resist signing. The adverise and greed of the white man was apparent. They did not want to share. They wanted to take control. So, he left the treaty encampment and encouraged the others to do the same, but from that time on he was marked as a doomed man by the leaders of this territorial government. Later, a war broke out among the settlers, the militia and some of the Indian tribes. The war drug on for about a year and exhausted both sides. Finally there was peace. After the war ceased the territorial governor, Isaac Stevens, brought Leschi to trial to convict him of the murder of a member of the American military during an ambush. The first trial was a hung jury, but Stevens wanted to try Leschi again, so another trial was held down in Olympia. Although this 'murder' happened during wartime and it was pretty well established that Leschi was not in that ambush party where the death happened, this second trial found him guilty, and Chief Leschi was hanged."

"With no bitterness as all in his heart, Leschi prayed for the white people that had come. He prayed that they would change their ways of adverise and greed and to this day that still has not happened. So his spirit is still a calling spirit among us. A challenging spirit. So today we all gather here in this spot invoking his spirit to be with you struggling for your independence in Tibet and Inner Mongolia. We all support your struggle and know that the powerful spirit of Leschi is moving with you as you go on your journey."

Rev. Keith Johnson Sr., a Native American from Seattle came to Tacoma today to visit Father Bix not knowing about the walk that he would take part in and the smudging ceremony he would perform.

"When I heard the word that there was going to be a march I was wearing dress shoes that my son gave me. I went into the Tacoma Indian Center back room to look for shoes. There was none there. Then this man just happened to come in with a bag of clothes. Guess what was there. Shoes. I don't believe it was an accident. For me it is an honor to do this ceremony. I did not want to come down to Tacoma today, but inside there was a spirit saying, 'Go.' I knew that there was work for me, and what I do, I do with a prayerful heart and with respect. I may not go the rest of the way with you, but my spirit will be there. It gives me great honor to do what I'm about to do. It makes my heart soar like an eagle. The reason that we use an eagle feather is that we believe when we pray and do the smudging the eagle carries it to the highest place. To the creator. When you look up and see a storm coming and you see an eagle, take courage, he's our brother. He's carrying the message to the highest place. I humble myself and thank you for the work you are doing."

ORIES FROM THE MARCH...

International Tibet Independence Movement
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