2-8-23

On 7-10-22 a Prayer Run/Walk started in Lubec, Maine at West Quoddy lighthouse in Passamaquoddy Territory, at the very furthest point east on Turtle Island, and is on the way to the California and Mexico border.

During the beginning, I had visited the Pacific Ocean at the end of the San Diego River which was one of our oldest trails and life source for our people. Water was collected, a prayer was laid down, and was taken east to Passamaquody Territory in Maine. We had received tribal permission to enter the territory in a good way, start the prayer and run through their lands, which we completed 81 miles in 2 days.
They hosted us by letting us use a large cabin, giving us medicine for the long journey, and sang and danced as we merged the Pacific Ocean that was brought, with the Atlantic we had reached. There was an incredible ocean surge as the waters came together, which was amazing and incredible. Serendipitous.

The Mission of this Run/Walk is to carry the Running Staff that I had taken with Golden Eagle feathers, carry the Chanupa that was loaded at the lighthouse for prayers, and take these sacred items across the Continent over every major waterway, in a prayer for all water.

As we all know, our waters are getting less and less, as we hear in Southern California now that we are in a 1200 year drought, and there is a real climate change going on. Also, our waters are getting polluted everywhere from big oil, lithium extraction, fracking… and the list goes on. As we believe, water is alive and is very precious to all us indigenous, but more so it is important to all human survival. This prayer will be for mother earth and to all water that we all need tremendously, and the longest prayer this continent has ever had east to west. It will be an ongoing prayer for only a few more months in hopes the Creator, or whatever belief system you pray to, will be answered in some way for our survival as humans.

On approximately June 14th 2023 we will enter San Ysidro on the beach, have a huge circle, where we will smoke the Chanupa with the prayers, merge the water that was collected on July 10th 2022 from the Atlantic to the Pacific Waters, and have a massive prayer enclosure through the longest North American indigenous run/prayer in history.

After the closure to the prayer, on June 14th, there will be an honoring for all those who ran the prayer, and those who helped facilitate and put the time in making this longest prayer happen. The day of June 16th will have blanketing and sacred item gifting local song and dance for the honoring, and a lunch that will be served for all runners and helpers.
After the lunch the JAM will begin. We will have the run with the Sun Music Fest that will feature known artists, have local talent, transfer the youth to get up on stage and jam with their local heroes or maybe even well-known artists. There will be three to four stages with music and this event that will be second to none, bringing people together for a great time to hear music, eat some great food, do some camping, tell stories, and just have a great time in a great way. 

These events, The Run and The Music Fest, are for everyone and we encourage everyone’s participation. We need to do things like this to stay as one!!!

Much love and respect always,

Sincerely,
Bobby Wallace
The Barona Band of Mission Indians
1003 Barona Rd
Lakeside CA 92040
619-922-7032
bwallacewlf@aol.com
robertwallacejr14@gmail.com