Rabbit-Proof Fence - The Long Walk

The Long Walk. This is the true story of Slawomir Rawicz, a Polish Army lieutenant who was arrested by Soviet Army during World War II. He and six others escaped from a Siberian camp. They walked 6500km, Mongolia, Gobi Desert, Tibet, the Himalayas from Siberia for one year.

Rawicz was prisoned and was sent to Siberia although he hadn’t done anything crime. He had to work there for twenty-five years. The weather of Siberia was severe, the labor was tight and the prisoners died one after another. So Rawicz and the others escaped from the camp. They began a long journey to India on foot.

At the time of escape, they had only some bread, an axe and a knife. One died in the severe nature. But the kindness of Mongolian who appeared occasionally helped them. They met the girl who ran away from Kolkhoz on way and calm time came. But a happy time was moment.

They had to cross the Gobi Desert on foot. It was the most terrible time in this trip. They walked in the extreme state. They were robbed of the physical strength and two of them died. But they continued to walk. Finally, they arrived at India.

I was deeply impressed that they had helped each other without losing hope to live even if it had been long severer trip. This story taught me the importance of what I didn’t give up till the last.

Posted for Olga

Rabbit-Proof Fence - A survival journey

His name was Junichi Toda. He was an ordinary office worker. But he didn't succeed his job. And even though he had been seeing a girl friend for five years, he didn't get along well with her. He wanted to change his life.

One day he climbed a mountain in Saitama prefecture in August. That was not a dangerous mountain. His climbing experience hadn't been even for one year. When he went down the mountain, he lost the way and fell down the cliff. He broke his left leg badly. He tried to stop the wound with T-shirt and an umbrella without panic. Then he covered with a plastic bag. But he couldn't go home. No one knew where he was climbing.

The food he had was the only seven candies. The second day he poured out his belongings in the mountain stream. He hoped that someone would find them.

Next day, he ate all of candies. He was't thirsty, because he was by the mountain stream. But he didn't have any food. So he ate ants and earthworms. On the other hand, his family had given out leaflets to the people in Chichibu area.

The ninth day they found the eyewitness. They asked the search party to find Mr. Toda in Mt. Ryokami in Chichibu. Two weeks later, he was rescued.

After he was operated on his left leg nine times, he could walk and got married his girlfriend and became a father of two children. Now he thanks everyone supporting him. I think it is wonderful that no one give up all hope.

Posted for Hiroko

Rabbit-Proof Fence - An epic journey (Into the Wild)

I will tell you another epic journey. It is about a young American man who died in Alaska in 1992. This story was become a movie directed by Sean Penn. And this movie " Into the Wild" was nominated to the 80th Academy Award.

Cris was born in a rich family. He graduated Emory University with an excellent results. His parents wanted him to go to Harvard law school. But he refused to go there and donated all his money which supposed to spend for study. His parents always gave him only money, not love. They had a different sense of values from him. He decided to go to Alaska by himself to know the truth of the world.

He changed his name and traveled to Mexico, through the US. As he traveled, he met many kinds of people. Sometimes he wanted to stay with them, but he wanted to go to Alaska to find something. He walked, hitch-hiked and finally he went to Alaska. He survived there for a while, but it was very difficult to find foods. So, he decided to leave Alaska. Unfortunately the desolate river of melted snow disturbed him to go out of Alaska. After 100days in Alaska, he died of hunger alone.

Posted for Yasumi

Rabbit-Proof Fence - A letter to the Australian Prime Minister

Feb/ 7 /2017

Dear the Prime Minister of Australia

I heard the government had failed to catch the half-caste girls who escaped from the Moor River Settlement several weeks ago. It is long way and must be a hard way to back home, especially for very young girls.

They must have been cold, hungry, and scared most of time, but they would have never stopped walking. They might hunted for their food, catching rabbits, lizards, and birds and cooking them over a fire. They build a shelter every night pulled them down in the mornings, covered their fire holes, and were careful not to leave easy chance for the police to follow.

They just wanted to get home to live with their families, and that's the best place for any child to be.

The government spent a lot of money to catch them. But they couldn't catch them. Some people who met the girls on the way to their home helped them. It is the natural things to do that as a human.

If the girls would survive their long way trip to home, you shouldn't punish them. I think you should permit them to live with their family. And I hope you to change the law for the half-caste children. 

No one is more important their mother when they are young. You shouldn't take them away from their mother. It is the right way as a human to live with their family. 

Sincerely yours, 

Naoko Hiramatsu