According to Yael, when

According to Yael, when the white man first reached these shores, there were 12 million Indians in the continental United States. Now, there are about one million. And while Indians are no longer dying from bullets fired by cavalry guns, spiritual and cultural genocide is still happening today, she Said.

She' doesn’t expect the government to wake up immediately to the injustices its worked on the Indians for hundreds of years. She doesn't anticipate that all those treaties written with tribe after tribes will be pulled out of filing cabinets this weekend and finally enforced. But that's the goal she and her husband and hundreds like them are striving to reach. "We must have hope,” Yael emphasized repeatedly.

It was this nebulous hope of influencing the government to live up to its promises that spurred the Becks to leave Tennessee almost two months ago. According to John, his family has come approximately 800 miles on foot and riding in their wagon since September 9. On Friday, they were worn out from the leg of their journey that saw them six miles outside of Harrisonburg at 7 a.m. the previous morning and in Sperryville at noon the next day. John and Yael trekked all night across the mountains besides their horse with the children asleep in the wagon.

Prince Hussein, John’s gray Thoroughbred stallion, walked with head hanging low into the Rainbow Trail’s parking lot. But his neck arched and his ears pricked forward as John talked while leading him down to the Thornton River. Once in the water, the bridle and halter came off and Prince Hussein drank deeply, lifting his head to rest it on his friend’s shoulder and nudge gently against John's chest.

After the horse had drunk his fill, John led him up to the bank to work on his hoofs. A farrier as well as a house painter, carpenter and