Remembrance Run: August 14th, 2021 from Stewart to Yerington, Nevada

Please view Frank’s story on Delmar Stevens Facebook page, and join us, aho!

Delmar wrote: “When Kutoven’s great grandpa Frank Quinn was 8 years old, he was taken from his family on the Yerington Paiute Tribal reservation, by the government and forced to become a resident at the Stewart Indian School in Carson City, Nevada.”

“He rebelled. He ran. Trekking 50 miles to return home to his people. And the government came again. And Frank ran home. Three times, Frank was taken, and three times he escaped. ”

“Meanwhile, a little Paiute girl named Hazel was hidden away by her family, her existence denied when the government came. Frank and Hazel became Ku’s great grandparents.”

“On Memorial Day, we visited the grounds at Stewart and followed Frank’s journey across the river and over the hills and through the sage and pine trees. As we drove, my wife read aloud the news of the 215 native children found buried at an Indian school in Canada, and some stories others had written of their experiences at the hand of church and government. It was horrifying, and we wondered if Ku would be here today if Frank hadn’t run.”

“And so, Ku inspired by his story, has decided to run in Frank’s footsteps. Not to escape imprisonment, but because he can, because he has the right to run, to honor 8 year old Frank’s determination and strength. He wants to invite the running community to join him on this journey. He asks for every tribe in Nevada to send their warriors to run with him. He asks for runners from the non-Indian community to join him, because this is a run for remembrance and healing. ”

“It will be held the weekend of August 14, 2021. It will not be competitive; all runners will journey as a group from Stewart to Yerington, over two days, camping in the hills. More information to follow. This journey is the REMEMBRANCE RUN.”

/

“Remembrance Run Update: Please fill out and return the registration form by August 12th. The forecast predicts 100 degree weather all weekend, so be prepared with coolers of cold drinks. We are also impacted by smokey skies from fires in the area, which may be unhealthy for sensitive individuals. In compliance with BLM, and to preserve the very dry land here, no campfires or cookstoves are allowed on the Run. Nevada covid numbers are rising, and there is a mask mandate at Stewart Museum. The Museum will be open Saturday morning for groups of 10 at a time.

The Remembrance Run, hosted by runner Kutoven Stevens, to honor the children who survived Indian boarding schools and to remember those who never came home. We will follow the path of 8 year old Frank Quinn, Ku’s great grandfather, as he escaped from Stewart Indian School in Carson City and ran home to the Yerington Paiute Reservation. It is approximately a 50 mile journey, split into two days, with camping overnight and story sharing in Sunrise Pass.

This is a prayerful journey, not a protest. Please respect our son’s vision and begin and end with peace. It’s a non-competitive, medicine wheel approach, so we invite people of all colors to trek with us. Kutoven says, “This is not just about running, it’s about healing.” If you don’t have a friend of a different ethnicity to bring as a running buddy, we hope you make one on the trip. We invite people of different abilities to join us, but be aware this is not any easy trip; the terrain is rugged and conditions are primitive. Some will run with Kutoven, some will walk. Some may complete Frank’s entire odyssey, others will give what endurance they can. 4WD VEHICLES can follow along to provide rest breaks for those who need it. We will have stops every 5 miles to regroup and refresh.

There will be media representatives, approved by our organizer group, along on the journey; Jason Bean from Reno Gazette Journal, Ric Anderson from the Las Vegas Sun, and Bert Johnson from NPR. In addition, Paige Bethmann and her film crew will be here for a week, creating a documentary of the Run.

WHAT TO BRING: Your support crew including a 4WD vehicle and driver, camping gear, snacks, drinks, warm evening clothes, sunhat, sunscreen, covid mask, and medicine. We have sponsors for meals up to 60 participants, and will provide snacks and drinks at rest stops until our supply is exhausted. Plan to bring your own food and drinks.

NO COOKSTOVES OR CAMPFIRES, NO PETS OR LIVESTOCK, NO BIKES OR MOTORCYCLES.

SCHEDULE

AUG 13th – Stewart Indian Museum has agreed to let us camp at the property the night before the journey, and will open the facility for viewing Saturday morning. We are invited to set up our campsite beginning at 6pm, on the large grassy area in the middle of the buildings, where the Fathers Day PowWow is normally held. Stewart is providing portapottys for participants use, and a dumpster will also be available. Dinner will be provided at 7pm, by Keonu John and her family, for 100 participants. A snow cone truck will be provided, courtesy of the Walker River Paiute Tribe.

AUG 14th – The morning meal will be provided by Emma Williams and her family at 5am, for 100 participants. Delmar Stevens will give us a traditional Native American blessing. Be prepared to begin the journey at 6am. We will complete approximately 25 miles, with stops every 5 miles to regroup, rest, and hydrate/snack. We will camp overnight at Sunrise Pass near a cluster of trees and a natural spring. This will be the main time set aside for sharing stories of Stewart. Evening meal provided for 60 participants.

AUG 15th – Breakfast will be provided by Kutoven Stevens and his family at 5am. Be ready to resume the journey at 6am. We will continue, as before, with stops every 5 miles, and complete the trip at the Bernie Giron Park on the Yerington Paiute Reservation. A meal will be provided by Maylene Sam and her family, the Keats family, Collettie Auguh-Dunn, and donations from the the Yerington Paiute community. Walker River Tribe will provide us with the snow cone truck for an end of journey refreshment.

SPONSORS

Reno Running Company

Sierra Endurance Sports

Logoed Tees Inc

Walker River Paiute Tribe

Yerington Paiute Tribe

YPT Clinic SDPI

Patagonia

Raleys Supermarket Yerington

Nevada Urban Indians

Thank you for being a part of this journey!

**We will have 2 portapottys on trailers to bring along on the journey, sponsored by Reno Running Company, Sierra Endurance Sports, and the Yerington Paiute Tribe.

**We have volunteers to operate seven of the rest stops; Thank you Stacey Burns, Anobel Gutierrez, Denise Frank Grosz, Maylene Sam, Kellie Stevens, Andrea Martinez, and Megan Tingle.

Looking for a volunteer to operate a rest stop on day one. Your group would drive your support vehicle ahead of the runners to the next 5 mile stop, pop up a shade canopy, and pass out drinks and snacks.

**We have received donations to fully cover the purchase of first aid supplies for the journey; thank you to everyone who helped with this cost! Thank you to Anobel Gutierrez for volunteering to be our traveling nurse!

**Thank you to Logoed Tees Inc for providing us with shirts to remember the event!! If you would like to order a shirt, they are on ebay; just type in Frank Quinn on the search bar.

**Thank you to Nevada Urban Indians for the generous donation, which allowed us to work with our designer Ryan Ress at Logoed Tees Inc. to create awesome swag bags for the event.

**Thank you to Denise Frank Grosz in the native group at Patagonia for donating gear for us to give away!!”