Santa Barbara News & Review
Santa Barbara, California
Thursday, April 17, 1986
7,000 Mile Trek
Santa Barbara Pair Plan Peace Relay
by Russ Spencer
[photo, not shown here, captioned:]
Masao Nippashi: The heart and soul of a locally planned
cross-country relay for peace
While 250 walkers in the Great Peace March have struggled
through continuous financial and legal setbacks on their 3,200
mile crawl to Washington, D.C., a Santa Barbara peace activist
and a friend who once studied in a Buddhist monastery have
been quietly planning a logistically smaller, but equally ambitious,
peace trek of their own.
David Crockett Williams, Jr., who has been involved in peace
activities locally for more than 15 years, is organizing the trek,
which he calls “The Great Spirit All My Relations 7000 Mile Relay
Marathon, Walk, and Caravan.” His friend Masao Nippashi – a
native of Japan who came to America 10 years ago and is providing
“inspiration” for the walk – came up with the name, “Great Spirit”
for the spirit of world peace. “All My Relations” for the ties between all people.
Williams said there will be a strong Native American and spiritual
theme throughout the trek, scheduled to begin with a Chumash
religious ceremony at the Stearn’s Wharf dolphin fountain on April 28.
From there, a wooden staff with an attached Eagle feather is scheduled
to be relayed by a team of runners through 7,000 miles of Indian lands
across the United States, and doubling back for a sacred Hopi “Sundance”
ceremony in Arizona July 4.
Williams and Nippashi will hold a gathering to distribute
information and solicit support for the relay on Saturday,
April 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Isla Vista’s Anisq’ Oyo park.
Williams said he hopes to focus United Nations attention on
a federal order to relocate 10,000 Arizona Navajos when the
relay passes through New York in late May. Only a thousand
Navajos have moved since the order was passed 11 years ago,
and government officials have threatened to bring in National
Guard troops unless the remaining Native Americans have
moved by July 8.
Williams pointed out that the unveiling of the refurbished
Statue of Liberty is also scheduled for July 8 – a coincidence
he described as “disheartening.”
The plan is to travel 180 miles a day – running day and night
with each person carrying the staff an hour at a time.
Support teams will be placed two days ahead of the runners
to conduct public relations and hold peace demonstrations.
Runners and the support group will be relying largely on
donations from communities along the way, Nippashi said,
adding that relay participants will not be allowed to consume
any alcohol or drugs.
Williams said he is hoping the relay, although not now widely
publicized, will gain national attention as it proceeds eastward
and culminate with a major demonstration in New York City.
His optimism doesn’t stop there, though – he also expects the
rally will lead to a repeal of the Navajo relocation order and a
productive disarmament session between the United States
and the Soviet Union.