Mount Graham Sacred Run Honoring the Cloud People

By Brenda Norrell
Native Press

MOUNT GRAHAM, Arizona – Running to preserve this sacred mountain from telescope construction, more than 200 Indigenous from the Americas ran a two-day relay across rugged country, offering prayers and ceremonies for the protection of the mountain held sacred by Apache and other Indian tribes.

Runners began in the intense heat of Tucson and then ran through the rugged outback of Aravaipa Canyon, even swimming in the canyon river at night after a sudden rain. Later, they were pelted by rain near Safford, then ran up the highest mountain in southern Arizona, Mount Graham.

As they gathered for a blessing ceremony on top, a cloud formed over runners carrying traditional native staffs, sending a narrow shaft of large raindrops down on the staff carriers. Apache run organizer Wendsler Nosie said these clouds were proof that the holy people, the Cloud People, were here with the runners who made this sacrificial journey.

"This is where the Spirit People walk the earth,” Nosie said. On the other side of the world, in Valca Monica in northern Italy, supporters were running at the same time. Italians joined American Indians and opposed telescope construction on Mount Graham.

"The Italians are running with us, they are running in the Alps," said Giovanni Panza, an Italian who works in a Tucson treatment center for tortured indigenous peoples from around the world. The telescope development is sponsored and supported by the University of Arizona in Tucson, other U.S. universities and institutions in Italy and Germany.

The Vatican has also supported the telescope development. Currently, the University of Arizona’s Mount Graham International Observatory plans expansion on top of the mountain. Two Mount Graham telescopes were completed in 1994. Now, the Large Binocular Telescope is slated for operation in 2004. Despite court battles and protests around the world, a 25-mile powerline has been completed.

The University of Arizona plans to build at least four more telescopes on the site. The 10th annual Mount Graham Sacred Run began on the Pascua Yaqui Nation, July 30 - Aug. 3, with a traditional feast and Yaqui Deer Dancers, welcoming Indigenous runners from across the United States and Mexico. Yaqui, Apache and O'odham blessing ceremonies were held during the run and at the camp on Mount Graham.

During the opening remarks at Pascua Yaqui, Rev. John Mendez of the executive board of the National Council of Churches reminded the gathering of the prophecies of Martin Luther King.

"You can not lose because history is on your side; right is on your side. This struggle is right and it is just. Truth and God are on our side," said Mendez, who traveled here for the run from North Carolina.

The Yoemen Tekia Foundation in Pascua Yaqui, a spiritual and cultural society, co-hosted this year’s run with the Apaches for Cultural Preservation. Cati Carmen, of the Yoemen Tekia Foundation, said Yaqui have always held a deep respect for the mountain and the Apaches right to pray there.

She was uplifted to hear the youth speak of running for spiritual reasons. When the Yaqui youth urge others to come and run, she said, "They tell them, ‘you can do it, for God and spiritual reasons.’" Runners left Pascua Yaqui and dawn. Then, for the first time since Aravaipa Apache were massacred in the remote Aravaipa Canyon, a descendant, among a few survivor's descendants, returned to the canyon in a run to honor them.

Anthony Sanchez, 18, ran through Aravaipa Canyon for 10 hours deep into the night. He recently learned that his great-great grandmother, Isabel Gomez, was one of the surviving children of the massacre, either stolen, kidnapped or sold.

Speaking of the run, Sanchez said, "It was a real blessing, the deepest water was up to our necks. To be there was to be in God’s country.

"When night fell, running without a flashlight, he learned that there was another side to the beauty of this canyon laced with cactus. Still he knew his ancestors were proud of him.

"I learned patience, to be comfortable in whatever state you are in," Sanchez said. Remembering his ancestors, he added, "We’re getting it all back again."

Angel Nosie, 16-year-old Chiracahua Apache of Geronimo’s clan, is a champion runner, but was not tall enough to wade the rocky canyon river. Among nine Apache, Yaqui and Lakota runners through the canyon, Nosie floated and swam the rivers.

"We felt like our ancestors could see us and were very proud of us. It made me very proud to be Chiracahua Apache. I would think that Geronimo would be very proud of his people." The other runners and supporters camped in a light rain at Aravaipa Canyon.Before ascending Mount Graham, Wendsler Nosie cautioned everyone to keep their minds and hearts pure.

"Whatever you take in your heart to the mountain, the Creator sees. "Nothing is ever easy. Life is hard. If everything is going easy in your life, then maybe you had better take a look at that, maybe something is wrong." With ceremony and personal triumph, American Indians ran the relay, carrying the staff to the top of Mount Graham. Apache, Yaqui, Tohono O’odham, Navajo, Pueblo, Hopi, Lakota and Mayo were among the tribal runners. Traveling here from the villages of Rio Yaqui in Sonora, 600 miles away in Mexico, were 22 Yoeme (Yaqui) runners speaking their Native language.

From near the Mexican border, came a van and trucks, packed with Tohono O’odham and Gila River O’odham runners. Dozens of Yaqui youth came from Pascua. Pedro M. Flores is a Yaqui Moro, which is the head ceremonial leader of all the Yaqui ceremonies of the four villages in and around Tucson. Flores said Yaqui in Sonora are fighting the same battles with the Mexican government for land, water and liberty that American Indians are fighting in the United States.

"This is how we try to help our brothers and sisters," said Flores of the intertribal support. The Yaqui elder worked hard during the sacred run, serving others during the two days on the road and two days at camp on Mount Graham. During talks on Mount Graham, Hazel James, Navajo from Dine Bidziil (Navajo Strength), a coalition of 37 Navajo grassroots organizations fighting for justice, said Navajos must fight their own tribal council which does not make decisions in the best interest of the people.

"We are not behind you, we are beside you," James said. James’ husband Robert Tohe, Navajo, said if "your blood runs red" it’s time to take a stand." "The Holy People are with us," he said. Speaking of the disparity between the wishes of the people and the actions of the Navajo tribal government, he said it is time to return the power to the people. Tohe said Navajos are engaged in the same struggle to protect San Francisco Peaks from the city of Flagstaff’s proposed snowmaking on the mountain using recycled water.

Twenty-three tribes in Arizona hold San Francisco Peaks sacred and it is one of the Navajo’s Four Sacred Mountains. The "Save the Peaks" campaign is under way. Raleigh J. Thompson, who served as San Carlos Apache councilman for 16 years, said when the white man came to this country he was given everything he needed. There were 60 to 80 million Indians living here at that time, now only 10 million.

"They started killing them off." "They say today is a good time to live, 2003. They have civilized us. In my heart, it makes me sad." Joined by former Apache Councilman Burnette Rope Sr., Thompson said Mount Graham was given to the Apache people and it was always in the heart of the ancestral Apache land. Their territory stretched to the Mexican border to the south, Tucson to the west and New Mexico to the east.

"We are all sacred." Thompson said the world is out of balance, men are marrying men and babies are being made in test tubes. White men are now altering the seeds of plants, even making a seedless watermelon.

"They are going beyond the Creator’s mystery. This is not normal."

Thompson said it is hard to be an Apache Indian today and when his people speak the Apache language they are laughed at. But the Indian way is still alive, he said, urging people to speak their Native languages and rise early for prayer.

Praising the youth, he said, "They made it up here with their belief, their faith. Someday it is going to help you." Speaking of the Indian way, he said, "It is hard. It is not as easy as it looks. "Appreciate your life," he told the people. "The mountain is happy you are here."

Larry Jones, Safford Ranger District biologist, spoke to the gathering about rare and extinct life forms on the mountain. Jones said, "See, I'm cool!" as he opened his talk. He opened his outer shirt buttons to show his T-shirt was covered with images of red squirrels."Mount Graham is a sky island," Jones said.

"Natural history-wise it is a part of Mexico." He described the plants and animals, including a flightless grasshopper, black bear and the sub-alpine spruce and fir at the top of the mountain. The Mexican grey wolves are no longer here and many species are dwindling and in need of protection.. "It is an honor to fight for what is ours," said Augustine Concha, Apache Spirit Runner from San Carlos.

Concha said the run is to honor the ancestors and pray for healing for the sick and elderly. Speaking of the sacredness of the mountain and the waters there, Concha asked if whites would put telescopes on a church.

"When they started putting telescopes up there, we knew we had to fight. Runners are leading this fight.” Praising the unity of the intertribal runners, Wendsler Nosie said, "When you are in unity, the mystery begins."