Press Release April 23, 2002

UGANDAN BOY-KING AND UTE INDIANS
SKI TOWARD PEACE

"I love skiing. I want to do it again," said adventuresome10 yr old King Oyo of Uganda at the world's first intertribal ski exchange with the Northern Ute Tribe at Colorado's Keystone Ski Resort over the weekend. The young monarch of Uganda's Kingdom of Tooro was treated to some Rocky Mt culture in between drumming up support for a children's hospital and sports center for the 1.5 million orphans of the Aids epidemic for his country. "We also highly value the voice of youth and women," said Monsignor Thomas Kisembo, the King's spokesman.

"His majesty, being an avid soccer player, was a natural,"said Linda Whittle. She was part of a team of instructors from Aspen and Steamboat who joined Native American Olympic Team Foundation (NVF) to be part of this first step toward implementing the International Olympic Committee's Agenda 21, which calls for the inclusion of Indigenous peoples to enhance the sustainability of the Games.

"With the help of the king we are bridging cultural barriers and spreading the new Olympic Spirit of including all Creator's children," said Olympic skier Suzy Chaffee, Co-chairman of NVF. The event was the brainchild of Chaffee and David Mporampora of Denver, President of ChristAid.

The first contact between the tribes was at the bottom of the slopes, surrounded by a throng of photographers. Both high from flying like eagles on skis down the mountain, 8 yr old Ute, Raenisa Ridley, stepped forward in her beaded white moccasins to greet the youngest king in the world.

With head down, she held her hand out to the equally shy king. As she looked up the two locked their big brown curious eyes, broke into a smile, and started a bond of friendship between their two cultures. At the welcoming ceremony, the upbeat teacher, elder and leader of the Northern Ute dancers, Loya Cesspooch, hugged the king hello and said, "The mountains are our ancestral home and it's so nice to share them with you.

Like you, God and Nature come together and are very important in our lives. The drum is also sacred to us and it's circle represents the Earth and is the heartbeat of our lives.' Dancing to the same Ute tribal singers and drummers who opened the Salt Lake Games, the Ugandans, Utes, Pawnees from the Denver Indian Health Center, and mainstream Americans at the gathering were surprised to be of one heart and mind, in spite of living half a world away.

Native Voices, a partnership between the cultures, provided a splendid Chief's headdress that Cesspooch and the children presented the boy-king with a new title, "King of Peace." Queen Mother Best Kwemigisa Kaboyo, whom Chaffee taught how to ski along with other family members, stood approvingly behind him.

"We feel touched hearing the sound of the drum, it is our way of blessing this visit," said Uganda Prime Minister Stephen Nyabongo. He then gave the Utes an African drum and told them to sing and play it when they are happy to remember their first meeting. He hoped the Utes would visit them in Uganda along with Olympians who could give their children sports clinics and encouragement.

Chaffee also presented the king and bishop with a gift from Lakota-Sioux Arvol Looking Horse, 19th Generation Keeper of the White Buffalo Prophesy Pipe. It prophesied the coming together of the 4 colors of humanity around the turn of the Millennium following the birth of a White Buffalo in 1994.

"Each of you are helping fulfill that prophesy today," pronounced Chaffee. Arvol's gift was a Indian poster personally signed to the king inviting him to "World Peace and Prayer Day" on June 21, in Durbin, South Africa. Arvol was instructed to visit sacred sights, the chakra centers of Mother Earth around the world on the Solstice and promote peace through prayer. The African event will be co-hosted by Arvol and Ghandi's daughter.

Joanie Klar, President of the ZERI USA Foundation, presented the King, Prime Minister and Queen Mother with CD roms of their program that Chaffee called "one of the best other hopes for a sustainable world." ZERI is a synthesis of Science and Native traditions, that teaches children internationally through stories. (ZERI.org) Chaffee asked Nyabongo how this event would be received back home. He felt that the word would travel around their continent giving children hope for a better way." "At one-billionth the cost, this is a more effective alternative to 7-10 yr. olds being trained to be terrorists in two other African countries," said Chaffee. Following the Grenoble Olympics in 1968, Chaffee became the advance person for an Olympic (summer) team who helped end the burning of 120 cities by giving sports clinics in the ghettos. "Youth sports opportunities are the No.1 priority of Indian country," said NVF Co-chairman Brian Wallace who heads the Washoe Tribe of Cal/Nevada. Olympic exchanges at reservations across America, as well as with tribes around the world, can give Indigenous youth the health, joy, and discipline to develop their full potential, perhaps even becoming Olympians, if ski areas, etc, across America catch the spirit of inclusion like Keystone. "Olympians would, in turn, experience the Native cultures and bring Indigenous wisdom to the world,"said Scott Halazon, NVF's International Director.

The event was sponsored by Keystone (home to Olympians Phil and Steve Mahre), the Four Points Hotel by Sheraton, Silverthorne, Coors Foundation, Obermeyer Sport, the Northern Ute Tribe, Morongo Band of the (Cal) Mission Indians, Navajo Brandon Pitcher & the Indiana Consortium of Sustainability, as well as Aspen's Denise Rich and Dr. Alex Kaufman, who started the "Seeds of Peace" Sports Camps for Israeli and Arab children.

"Our people are thrilled,"said Mporampora, raising his Ute Mt Pottery Cup gift from Chaffee, "There's allot of love here." Beating the drums of change at Keystone makes an uplifting finale to NVF's documentary, 'Red Road to the Olympics,'"said Chip Comins of American Spirit Productions, which he plans to air soon worldwide. For more info contact: www.nativevoices.org, or Suzy Chaffee, 23 Upper Ranch Rd, Aspen, Co 81611, 970-922 5406, New E-mail: suzynativevoices@aol.com or fscott28@aol.com David Mporampora - 303 303 337 1833 Pictures available on request.