‘Voices in the Wilderness: Erris, Gas and Global Warming’.

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The Mayo News
Thursday, 17 May 2007

Walk highlights global warming

Thursday, 17 May 2007

ROUSING THE PEOPLE?Christy Moore sang a song before taking part in the Famine Walk between Doolough and Louisburgh last year. ?Pic: Keith Heneghan/PhocusFamine Walk to highlight global warmingMichael DuffyTHE very successful annual famine walk from Doolough to Louisburgh will this year take place on Saturday, May 26 and will feature the theme ‘Voices in the Wilderness: Erris, Gas and Global Warming’.The organisers, Afri and Louisburgh Community Project, have also announced that the leaders of the walk along the picturesque route will be Gary White Deer, an internationally-known painter, tribal chanter and dance leader; Dr Janie White Deer, a promoter of wellness and sobriety in tribal communities; Dr Mark Garavan, spokesperson for the Shell to Sea campaign and author of the recently-published book, ‘The Rossport 5’, and John Hoban, musician, singer, songwriter and poet.One of the organisers, Breda Ruane of the Louisburgh Community Project, has said this year’s topics was chosen as ‘the threat posed by global warming and climate change has seeped into public consciousness like never before’.“Questions are being asked as to what we can do to avoid the dangerous consequences of our addiction to fossil fuels. The good news is that many people are showing tremendous courage and taking great personal risks to resist the threat of global warming. These people are to be found all over the world: in the Niger Delta, in Asia (such as in West Papua) and here in Ireland - in Erris and elsewhere,” said Ms Ruane. Two of the leaders of the walk, Mark Garavan and John Hoban, will be well known to the Mayo public but the organisers are also delighted to have Gary and Jane White Deer as the other leaders of the famous walk. Gary White Deer, Choctaw has represented the Irish-Choctaw Famine link on many occasions and has made documentary film appearances on RTÉ, BBC, PBS, National Geographic Explorer, and Turner Broadcasting. Gary is the author of the forthcoming book, ‘Chahta Bilia Hoke; an Overview of Choctaw History’.Dr Janie White Deer, Choctaw and Jicarilla Apache, was raised at the foot of Oklahoma’s Buffalo Mountain. She now travels extensively as a highly-sought-after consultant for various American and tribal programmes. She recently initiated Project CHARA, which partnered with Children in Crossfire to raise monies for elderly Choctaw victims of Hurricane Katrina. She is also active in preserving tribal traditions, and co-recorded the CD ‘Oklahoma Choctaw Dance Songs’.“We are delighted to have all four people to lead this year’s walk, which promises to be one of the best ever and we hope to attract hundreds of people from all over the country along with local people from Louisburgh, Mayo and Galway,” said Ms Ruane. The annual ten-mile sponsored walk from Doolough to Louisburgh commemorates those who died in 1849 along this route and the organisers also use the walk as ‘an act of solidarity with those who suffer injustice in today’s world’. This Saturday, a special event organised in conjunction with the walk takes place in Louisburgh Parish Hall. A creative response to this year’s theme ‘Voices in the Wilderness: Erris, Gas and Global Warming’ will see six artists display paintings inspired by the Shell to Sea Campaign.Their work, sponsored by Castlebar Shell to Sea, will be on public display during the Famine Walk. The artists – Tom Meskell, David Gearty, Isabela Basombrio Hoban, John Mulloy, Mick Smyth and Clare Griffen – will, in their own individual and creative ways, express the emotions associated with the campaign on canvas and their work will be exhibited during the famine weekend.For further information on these events please contact Breda Ruane, Louisburgh Community Project on 098 66218.