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06:48

The Ride for Freedom from Salem, Oregon to the UN at New York for Akha Human Rights, crossing the US by horseback, this is day 117 at Apache Junction, Arizona, after having just crossed the Sonoma Desert from Los Angeles, one of the toughest stretches of desert in the US, in JUNE. We will be resting for two weeks in Apache Junction before riding for New Mexico and Texas. The purpose of the Ride for Freedom is to increase awareness of Akha human rights in the United States, and bring public attention to the fact that the Queen of Thailand has seized the land of the Akha people in Chiangrai province at the villages of Hooh Yoh and Pah Nmm. This is just one project in 17 years of human rights work for the Akha people. Matthew McDaniel, Michu Uaiyue, and their five children, and the horse Hampton, a half quarter horse half percheron of 4 years, make this steady trip and adventure across the US. Few people have heard of the Akha in the US, even though there are more than 600,000 Akha in SE Asia.