Family Completes Horseback Trip Across the US for Akha Hill Tribe

The total trip back to Salem was 476 days.

Ah Ngoh and Hampton in Dubois, Wyoming

(SALEM, Ore.) - August will mark 20 years working for the Akha hill tribe in Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, China and Vietnam on the part of the non profit based in Salem, The Akha Heritage Foundation.

In 2007 Matthew McDaniel and his family planned a trip across the US by horseback, to publicize the story and the plight of the Akha people in Thailand. On March 6, 2009 they left via bus and horseback from Salem, Oregon headed for the Oregon Coast and then down towards California. The group included Michu, an Akha from Thailand, and their five children ages 3-9 years.

As they had lost their driver two days before leaving, Matthew rode the horse out 25 miles and then hitch hiked back to the bus and drove the bus up to the horse.

They traveled in this fashion to Los Angeles, Phoenix, Dallas, Wash. DC and the United Nations in New York.

382 days by horseback, through the hardest snow and coldest winter the east coast has seen to date.

They told the Akha story to thousands of Americans personally and were on numerous TV shows and in local newspapers.

After taking a break of a few weeks, they rode back west to the Ohio state line, before they were able to gather enough funds to purchase a horse trailer and bring the great horse Hampton back to Salem. He is a black 17.2 hand Quarter Horse / Percheron mix of 5 1/2 years.

The total trip back to Salem was 476 days.

You may see more than 400 videos of the trip at youtube.com/akhazauh

The non profit website is akha.org

You may contact them at akhalife@gmail.com or call at 971-388-7185

Thank you for your interest in the story of the Akha people.

Matthew McDaniel and Family
The Akha Heritage Foundation
PO BOX 6073
Salem, OR 97304