Water Walk for Life

water-is-sacred-jpg1Water Walk for Life
13 day/170 mile prayer walk from Ramapough-Lunaape to Grafton, NY
Saturday July 22 thru Saturday August 5, 2017

Our walk connects communities along the Hudson River Valley, land held sacred by many. We start in Ramapough, which means “Sweet Water” in the Algonquin language, and end at the Grafton Peace Pagoda, located in Mohican (People of the Waters that are Never Still) territory for the Hiroshima Day Ceremony. We will be walking in prayer for a peaceful, sustainable future on mother earth.

The proposed Pilgrim Pipelines are parallel pipelines to run from Albany-Rensselaer, NY for approximately 170 miles to Linden, NJ. One pipeline is proposed to carry North Dakotan fracked Bakken shale oil (near Standing Rock) south to refineries in NJ, while the other would carry refined petroleum products north. There are 5 proposed accessory pipelines that would carry oil from the main lines to tank farms along the Hudson River. In addition to the construction of the pipelines themselves access roads for construction and maintenance would be required at 1-mile intervals along the entire route for a total of 215 proposed new roadways, requiring the clearing of at least 600 acres of forest.

The proposed pipelines would cross the Hudson River plus hundreds of smaller rivers, tributaries and regulated wetlands. Each of these crossings would disturb or destroy critical wildlife habitats and endanger the clean water sources for over 100,000. These pipelines would carry almost 17 million gallons of petroleum products each day. New pipelines fail at a higher rate than old ones. Between 2004 and 2012 pipelines spilled three times as much crude oil as trains according to analysis by the International Energy Agency.

Many towns that will be directly impacted by the proposed pipelines have passed resolutions in opposition to its construction after carefully considering the great potential for danger to nature and communities.

For more information:
Grafton Peace Pagoda 518-658-9301 (7:30am and 4pm) until July 20th
George at 646-784-7616 or email gchojr@mac.com
During the walk you can call Jules at 201-566-8403

Join this walk for a few hours or a few days with prayers for water at risk from the proposed Pilgrim Pipeline. Schedule subject to change. This is a drug and alcohol free walk for environmental awareness of the sacred Hudson River Valley and its waters.

Day 1: Saturday July 22 10AM
Ramapough-Lunaape Split Rock
Prayer Camp near Ramapo College
Begin with Water Ceremony, Walk to Sloatsburg
8 miles

Day 2: Sunday July 23 8AM
Sloatsburg to Harriman
13-14 miles

Day 3: Monday July 24 8AM
Harriman to Washingtonville
11-12 miles

Day 4: Tuesday July 25 8AM
Washingtonville to Warden
11-12 miles

Day 5: Wednesday July 26 8AM
Warden to New Paltz
15-16 miles

Day 6: Thursday July 27 8AM
New Paltz to Kingston
14-15 miles

Day 7: Friday July 28 8AM
Rest Day in Kingston

Day 8: Saturday July 29 8AM
Kingston to Saugerties
13-14 miles

Day 9: Sunday July 30 8AM
Saugerties to Catskill
12-14 miles

Day 10: Monday July 31 8AM
Catskill to Ravena
18-20 miles

Day 11: Tuesday August 1 8AM
Ravena to Bethlehem
9-10 miles

Day 12: Wednesday August 2 8AM
Bethlehem to Albany
8 miles

Day 13: Thursday August 3 8AM
Albany to Troy
10 miles

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Day 14: Friday August 4 8AM
Work Camp at Grafton Peace Pagoda

Day 15: Saturday August 5
Hiroshima Day Ceremony at Grafton Peace Pagoda
Walk from Grafton Town Center at 6:30pm
4.3 miles

Ceremony for Peace at Grafton Peace
Pagoda 8:00pm
Located nearby Mohican sacred burial site

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Water Walk for Life Co-Sponsors: Food & Water Watch, Ramapough Lenape Nation, Coalition Against Pilgrim Pipeline, Riverkeeper, 350NJ, Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War, Green Party, Sierra Club, Nipponzan Myohoji