Canku Ota

(Many Paths)

An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America

August 24, 2002 - Issue 68

The Sovereignty Run

The Sovereignty Run is a cross-country relay spanning twelve states, beginning in Washington State on September 11, 2002 and ending in Washington D.C. on October 7, 2002. The primary goals of the Sovereignty Run are to unite tribes and tribal supporters throughout Indian Country; to create sovereignty awareness and support on a national level; and to raise over $1,000,000 for the Tribal Sovereignty Protection Initiative.

What is the Sovereignty Protection Initiative?
In recent years, the United States Supreme Court has eroded tribal jurisdiction within tribal territory. During its recent term, the Court decided against tribes in four out of five instances. These recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions have set terrible precedents in restricting Tribal jurisdiction, posing enormous challenges to Tribal self-government and economic development.

On September 11, 2001, a national coalition of American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal leaders and American Indian organizations coordinated by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) met to discuss these recent decisions. They reached a consensus to mount an organized effort to halt and reverse the U.S. Supreme Court’s erosion of tribal sovereignty and address what is perceived throughout Indian Country as the Court’s increasingly hostile posture toward Tribal jurisdiction. This organized effort is called the “Tribal Sovereignty Protection Initiative.”

At the September 11th meeting, tribal leaders formed a fund raising subcommittee to support the Sovereignty Protection Initiative. Our team leader, Fawn Sharp, was appointed to Co-Chair the subcommittee with attorney Michael Anderson. Ron Allen, Chairman of the Jamestown S’klallam Tribe jokingly said, ”Fawn we will need one million dollars for the Sovereignty Fund.” That was the beginning of the vision for the Sovereignty Run.

Through pledges from tribes, tribal organizations, corporations, businesses, and individuals sponsoring Sovereignty Runners, we will raise financial support for the Sovereignty Protection Initiative.

The “Sovereignty Run” will begin on September 11th 2002, the one-year anniversary of 9/11 and the initial tribal leaders meeting, which led to the development of the “Sovereignty Protection Initiative.” The relay run will start at the Pacific Ocean on the Quinault Indian Reservation and will end at the front steps of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. on October 7th 2002, the opening day of the Court’s 2003 term. The course will run nearly 2800 miles through Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

"There is a moment of time, on October 7, 2002, we don't know what hour, minute or second, but it will happen. That historical moment when hundreds, maybe thousands, will follow the Sovereignty Runners across the Memorial Bridge, along the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and the White House to the front steps of the US Supreme Court. The spirit of tribal sovereignty will reign on Washington that day. Every member of Congress, Senator, and Supreme Court Justice will be confronted with the reality that tribal sovereignty is resistant to defeat."
- Fawn Sharp, Team Leader

Track the progress of the runners and find out how you can help on their site:

Sovereignty Run The Sovereignty Run is a cross-country relay spanning twelve states, beginning in Washington State on September 11, 2002 and ending in Washington D.C. on October 7, 2002. The primary goals of the Sovereignty Run are to unite tribes and tribal supporters throughout Indian Country; to create sovereignty awareness and support on a national level; and to raise over $1,000,000 for the Tribal Sovereignty Protection Initiative. http://www.sovrun.org/

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