Dear Relatives,

Thank you for your interest in attending the Completion Ceremony of the Peace and Dignity Journeys 2016. On May 1, 2016, two groups of Spiritual Runners began this prayer from opposite sides of Abya Yala– one group from Chickaloon, Alaska and the other from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.  With a few weeks to go both groups are physically exhausted but are spiritually strong. The Runners are carrying the prayers and intentions of several hundred communities’ and thousands of people that they have met along their path.  The purpose of the closing ceremony is to tie those prayers together, honor the runners, organizers, elders, and community members that have made this Journey a reality. 

The purpose of this page is to manage the travel, lodging, food and other needs for those who will be traveling to Panama for the 2016 Peace and Dignity Journeys closing ceremonies. We anticipate that there will be approximately 100 people who will be traveling to Panama from throughout North, Central, and South to attend this event.

Peace and Dignity Journeys was started in 1992 to continue in the spirit of the traditions of our ancestors. Every four years Indigenous communities all over North, Central and South America witness and partake in the tradition of receiving runners with ceremonies unique to their community, sharing stories, song, dance, and the wisdom that comes from community elders and ceremony. Peace and Dignity Journeys runners start simultaneously from both ends of the continent in Chickaloon, Alaska and Tierra del Fuego, Argentina traversing the entire continent by foot from community to community and joining together for a final gathering in Central America, Panama. The 2016 Journey is dedicated to the Seeds of our Future, the Seeds we plant in the ground and the Seeds that are the future of our communities.

In 1990, over 200 representatives of Indigenous nations from throughout the western hemisphere met for the first time in Quito, Ecuador. There, they witnessed the unfolding prophecy of the Eagle and the Condor. The inspiration of spiritual running to re-unite the nations of Turtle Island surfaced from the elders. Elders from North, Central and South America remember and talk about a prophecy that foretold how we will come together and reunite as one… “we are like a body that was broken up into pieces and this body will come back together to be whole again.”. Peace & Dignity Journeys became part of the realization. Through Peace & Dignity Journeys, numerous and diverse indigenous nations reunite and reclaim dignity for their families and communities.

Our native communities are scattered, having been pushed to the remote corners of this great land. In spite of this, we remain connected through the core traditions our ancestors have given us which have passed the test of time and space. These traditions not only serve as a binding connection to our communities, but provide us with the medium to solve our common problems.

Peace and Dignity Journeys was started in 1992 to continue in the spirit of one such tradition. Every four years Indigenous communities all over North, Central, and South America witness and partake in the tradition of receiving runners with ceremonies unique to their community. Through this process runners and participants share stories, song, dance, and the wisdom that comes from community elders and ceremony. At the same time Peace and Dignity Journeys runners take on the spiritual task and honor of running from community to community starting simultaneously from both ends of the continent in Chickaloon, Alaska and Tierra del Fuego, Argentina traversing the entire continent by foot and joining together for a final gathering in Central America, Panama.

Each journey is dedicated to a specific theme:
1992 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance/Dedicated to the Children
1996 Dedicated to the Elders
2000 Dedicated to the Families
2004 Dedicated to honor Women and the feminine spirit, particularly Mother Earth
2008 Dedicated to the honoring of and preservation and protection of Sacred Sites
2012 Dedicated to Water, the source of life for all.
2016 Dedicated to the Seeds of our Future, the Seeds we plant in the ground and the Seeds that are the future of our communities.

Peace and Dignity Journeys is a grassroots organization supported by host communities, coordinated by a dedicated network of volunteers, and manifested through our strong runners. “Peace and Dignity Journeys” is an Indigenous organization that invites the participation of native and non-native individuals who are strongly committed to the preservation of Native American culture. We wish to extend a special invitation to all Elders and Spiritual Leaders in hope of making this run a strong prayer.