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This annual event marks 510 years of genocidal policies and cultricide that Indigenous people of this hemisphere and other cultures have resisted!

This year, we are part of a larger movement, joining with other groups from around the country to draw attention to the continued oppression of Indigenous rights and the ongoing effects of colonialism's it affects Indigenous peoples throughout the hemisphere.

*We walk in solemn remembrance of those ancestors who have walked on before us. For many, this walk is a walk of apology; for other folks, this walk is in solidarity with people struggling for survival and self-determination.

*We dedicate ourselves toward a future without racism and discrimination and social deprivation caused by global lust for power over others. Our walk calls to an end to the intolerant social relationships aligned with dominant Euro-Centric world views.

*We call for a world whose people and leadership honor Human Rights.

*We will join in songs of victory, shouts for human struggle, and speeches encouraging community involvement. Our walk will be led by a traditional drum and the American Indian Movement's flag with elder and others following. Please come with respect in your heart and determination in your hands.

*We call on freedom for Leonard Peltier, an end to the forced relocation of the traditional elders of Big Mountain, and for solidarity with indigenous peoples of the world.

The Mourning Ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. on Monday, October 14, at Bicentennial Park in downtown Columbus and we will march to the replica Santa Maria where elders and community leaders will be given an opportunity to speak on issues affecting Indigenous peoples.

For more information, call: Barry Thomas, phone: 614-443-6120, or Mark Stansbery, phone: 614-252-9255.