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Reporter's Notebook: Brenda Norrell

Walking for those who died in the Sonoran Desert

Posted by Brenda Norrell - November 1, 2008 at 1:47 pm



Article and photo by Brenda Norrell

TUCSON -- Walkers gathered this morning in Tucson to walk to San Xavier on the Tohono O'odham Nation, remembering those who died on the US/Mexico border. The walk, coordinated by Derechos Humanos, is the eighth annual Day of the Dead pilgrimage. The eight mile walk from St. John's Church is underway to the San Xavier del Bac Mission. Kat Rodriguez, of Derechos Humanos, told walkers that the 183 white wooden crosses being carried represent each person who died in the desert from Oct. 1, 2007 to Sept. 30. While some crosses carry the names of the dead, there are 108 crosses marked "unknown." Of those, there were 19 people who could not be identified as to whether they were male or female, because so little of their bodies could be found. Derechos Humanos said that 1,600 people have died trying to cross the Sonoran desert in the past eight years. Walkers will culminate their journey with a gathering at the mission at 1 p.m.
Listen to audios from this morning, Kat Rodriguez of Derechos Humanos and columnist Roberto Rodriquez
http://censored-news.blogspot.com/

Photos at: http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com

 

About Brenda Norrell

Personal Website
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/

Biography

Brenda Norrell has been a news reporter in Indian country for 27 years. She is currently based in Tucson and covers Mexico, the U.S. borders and the West, focusing on Indigenous Peoples and human rights. She cohosted the five-month Longest Walk talk radio across America, with American Indians walking for sacred Mother Earth and publishes Censored News.

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