On 28 March Ayala Katz will start her Peace Tree Pilgrimage from the historic village of Genadendal to Gansbaai. This five-day walk over 111 km was specifically planned to start during Human Rights Week and to end at the beginning of the Greenpop Reforest Fest, which will be held at Bodhi Kaya Retreat from 1 to 3 April.
Katz trained in drama and theatre, but moved into music and has worked as a singer and percussionist all over the world. She has also walked in many parts of the world already. The Hermanus Times spoke to Katz about her walking and specifically about the Peace Tree Pilgrimage.
“I call myself an enviro-pilgrim. I have a very deep connection to the earth and I walk very mindfully. I have a very strong ethos that I do as little damage as possible when I am walking. I try not to remove or touch anything in the biomes that I am walking in.”
“People ask me why I use the term pilgrimage. Does it not have a religious leaning? No. My focus is about the spiritual connection to nature and how important it is to be conscious of that. When I walk, I also hope that I can impact the people that I come across. That I can talk to them about ecology and how important it is to take care of nature and how fragile she is.”
“When I walk, I go into a very different head space. I become very quiet, very introspective. Walking makes you feel differently, think differently, unpack life differently. It takes you into those Beta Alpha rhythms in your brain, so you go into a state of meditation. On short walks (less than 10 days) it can be very difficult if people ‘drop in’ to join the walk. It is very hard to stay connected if people bring in all that frantic energy from outside. I have done very long walks, sometimes stretching over two or three months. On those long walks, it’s lovely to have people join you. People need to realize that this is not a hike or a marathon. It’s a pilgrimage.”
Katz’s first name Ayala means gazelle, and she really walks the earth as mindfully and light-footed as a gazelle.
On long walks through areas where there is lots of wildlife she will hang many tiny bells on her body. With their heightened senses wildlife will hear this sound from many kilometres away so that by the time Katz reaches a herd of wildlife they are used to the sound and she can walk through them without disturbing them.
“I now live in Genadendal, which is an impoverished village with a very high unemployment rate. The concept behind the walk this time is called ‘Future Dreaming’ with the ethos about introducing the possibilities of dreaming about the transformation of the village. It is vital that Genadendal rises again. There is such a rich history of Khoi lineage. We will document the stories of the elders living in Genadendal. Of a time when the community was flourishing, abundant and unified. We would like to take those dreams and plant them under trees in a Peace Park in Genadendal.
“This is a project for the community. There will be a sacred ceremony when we plant the trees. Each tree will be connected to the story of an elder. Elders will select a family member to be the custodian of that tree. To hold the vision of the dream so that we can shift from the hopelessness into possibility.
“Eventually this park will be used for workshops with the children, community gatherings, and so on. We would in future like to create a food forest for food security. The community is so full of extraordinary humans that want to see a difference. It will be an opportunity for healing to take place.”
Katz appeals to the public to sponsor her on this walk. For every sponsored kilometer, a tree can be planted.
For additional information go to www.peacetreepilgrimage.com or contact Katz at peactreepilgrimage@gmail.com
