On August 10, 2002, the city of Delta, Utah held the first annual Topaz Pilgrimage. Over 400 people participated in the day-long events. The following article by Kathy Walker was published in the 8/15/2002 issue of the Millard County Chronicle Progress.

Pilgrimage marks ties that bind and commemorate 60th anniversary
By Kathy Walker

The 60th anniversary of the opening of Topaz was commemorated Saturday, August 10 in the Delta City Park with more than 500 people attending. Many visitors were from California and had experienced life in the camp. Joe Inatome of Las Vegas was brought to Topaz at 17 and was one of the first graduates of Topaz High School. He learned to get along in the world because of his teacher, Eleanor Gerard Sekerak, who now lives in Castro Valley, California. Gerard taught that if a person becomes bitter, bitterness never ends, nor does self-pity.

Visitors and area residents began Saturday with a 32-mile round-trip bike ride from the park to the Topaz site. The 17 participants enjoyed their time together and many, like rider Ken Lebbon, said they hope another ride is planned next year.

Seventeen bikers rode to Topaz early Saturday morning, including local people, two professors from Salt Lake City, a couple from Provo and two Japanese Americans who had been interned in Topaz.

Former internees Kaz Iwahashi, ToruSaito and Chizu Iiyama from the San Francisco Bay Area toured the Great Basin Museum and the restored, recreation hall remembering where they and their families once lived. When arrested in 1942, Iiyama was four months from graduation at the University of California. She was taken to a makeshift assembly center at a California racetrack and wrote papers from the camp to complete her graduation requirements. A U.S. postal carrier delivered her diploma to the horse stall. Later, she was transferred to Topaz.

Ties that Bind served as the Pilgrimage's motto and the day's events were designed so visitors and residents, some who worked at the camp, could interact.

One highlight was the performance by the Ogden Buddhist Taiko Drummers. Among the pieces played were the "Ashira'and Hori No Umi." "Ashira" or "war" was written by the Kinnara Taiko Group. It is not about the conflicts on the battlefield but rather how but rather how conflicts are settled within us in daily life.

Another number; "Hori No Umi" was composed by players Marion and Crystalyn Hori. The arm movements represented the crashing of waves, which is a symbol of the Ogden group and represents the teaching of impermanence.

Ogden Buddhist Taiko Drummers were a real crowd pleaser.

Over 60 people watched a video about a quilt made by the East Bay Quilters from Oakland, CA. The quilt was on display in the Delta City Library for the day. Artwork from camp continues to be shown at the library for another month. Cherie Kazuko Hishida of Oakland, Calif., was born at Topaz and said her parents did not discuss their experiences at Topaz. She said she learned a lot about the camp by attending the Pilgrimage and seeing the photographs displayed in the park. Many people recognized friends and relatives in the photos.

In the afternoon the new marker at the site was dedicated by the Japanese American Citizens League chapters from Salt Lake City.

Discussions about rounding up and detaining those who look like Middle Eastern terrorists have taken place in the nation's highest offices, said John Tateishi, National Director of the Japanese American Citizens League, during the dedication of a new Topaz site marker.

People were treated to a hamburger picnic in the park after the dedication of the Topaz marker. About 400 attended.

"I remind them about the Japanese population on the West Coast being imprisoned because the government felt it could not determine whether we were enemies or not," Tateishi said.

Rep. Mike Styler spoke at the dedication recounting his experiences teaching students about internment.

More than 120,000 people of Japanese descent were locked into ten internment camps, including the barren Topaz camp near Delta. Two-thirds of the prisoners were U.S. citizens.