Public Education & Information
AAIA Supports the 3rd National Grand Rally for Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children
On May 7, 2008 hundreds of grandparents and other relatives raising children will gather at the U.S. Capitol to highlight their important role in raising children and the help they need from family, friends, their communities, states, national organizations and agencies and elected officials.
For more information about the Bills and Acts related to this issue and to find out who to contact in your state see the Grand Rally website at www.grandrally.org and click on Learn More.
Walking West 08 Hike
The Association on American Indian Affairs (AAIA) would like to announce the departure of Ed and Liz Morgan from the Isle of Palms, Charleston, South Carolina, on March 25th, 2008 as part of the Walking West 08 Hike from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The hike will end in Seaside, Oregon on or about November 1, 2008.
A Brief Update on Liz & Ed
4/14/08
As we were passing through the town of Lavonia, GA, Tracy with WNEG tv channel 32 news approached us and asked if she could interview and video us. She was very pleasant and easy to interact with. Unfortunately we won't be able to see it as our next planned motel stop is Friday night, but Tracy said she would send us a copy. We really appreciate all of the emails! If you ever want to add additional info about any place we are passing through or about the American Indian please feel free to do so in our guest book.
4/15/08
We will be following the general route of the Unicoi Turnpike for the next several days and will describe it in more details later. In the afternoon we followed Hwy 123 west into the town of Toccoa where we had a delicious and too filling dinner at Quincys. There we met Sheena who is 1/16th Cherokee and 1/8th Creek. Though she doesn't know many details about her Indian heritage she is very proud of that heritage. We spoke with her about our journey and she wished us well. We then continued north to find camp for the night.
4/16/08
...as we were walking through the town of Toccoa a lady approached us with a camera. Jessica with The Toccoa Record, the county newspaper, then interviewed us and took some pictures. She is part Cherokee and was especially interested in our fund raising for an American Indian organization.
4/17/08
We had an early supper at the sandwich shop next door to the old store where we met a woman, her daughter, and grandchildren. The woman's name was Red Moon Woman (miskwaa dibikgeezis kwe) and she is a member of the Bear Clan of the Chippewa Tribe in upper Michigan. She and her daughter are starting to teach her grandchildren some words in the Chippewa language. Red Moon Woman relayed the following very interesting story to us: "when I was in the second grade and we were getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving my teacher asked the class to go home and ask their parents if they had any relatives from the Mayflower; my father told me to tell the teacher that my elders met the Mayflower". After a couple more miles of walking we saw the Nacoochee Mound. The history of the mound is unclear but it is believed to pre-date the Cherokee. Evidence does suggest that the Cherokee did use the site as a village. It felt to us to be a very special place. While viewing the mound we met Suzanne, who is very much into local Indian history, and said she would send us more information on the mound. It is so nice to meet and talk with people who care about our shared American heritage including the American Indian.
4/24/08
We continue to be encouraged by our progress and all of your support but know it is still a long, long, long way to Oregon. But all we have to do each day is walk. We find it helpful to set short term goals for usually the next day or two but sometimes just getting to the top of a long hill for a break in the shade can seem like an accomplishment.
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