Community members gathered at Civic Plaza on Friday to support the Longest Walk, a five-month trek from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., in support of American Indian rights.
Student Maya Peters, who organized Friday's ceremony, said about 50 people walked through Civic Plaza, but the group hopes to have thousands of marchers by the time it gets to Washington, D.C.
Participants arrived in New Mexico on April 6 and will stay until April 21. They began walking Feb. 11 and expect to arrive in Washington, D.C., on July 11.
This year's walk marks the 30-year anniversary of the Longest Walk.
Peters said the first Longest Walk participants gave Congress a list of issues that American Indians face.
"They were going to terminate treaty rights with tribal nations in the federal government," she said.
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Peters said environmental issues that American Indians face were added to the list.
The walkers are collecting information from tribal nations along the way, she said.
"The main focus is bringing attention to protecting the environment and protect sacred sites," she said. "There needs to be a huge overhaul in the way we treat the environment."
Student Towana Yepa said she attended the event because she wanted to support the participants.
"I think it is good that they are doing a walk," she said. "It forces people to acknowledge native people, whether they are aware of the issues or are seeing for the first time."
Dennis Banks, co-founder of the American Indian Movement, said he is walking this year because the demands of the first walk haven't been met.
"We walk because that is all we can do," he said.
Banks said the foundation of the American Indian spirit lies in spiritualˇsites.
"We are related to the eagles and the hawks," Banks said. "We believe this, and that is why we walk - to wake up America."
