NATIVES AND OLYMPIANS DAZZLE At NUGGETS NIGHT

“Wow. That was amazing,” said representatives of both cultures at the Denver Nuggets second annual night honoring the “American Indians of Colorado” on March 22, at the Pepsi Center. Thanks also to a touching opening blessing by Lakota Robert Cross and anthem by Dee St. Cyr of the Denver Indian Center, followed by a half-time show featuring 60 of North America’s most colorfully magnificent pow wow dancers, the Nugget players found themselves fancy-dancing all over the Clippers, to a 105 to 80 victory.

Snow Blankets the West after Gratitude Prayers at LA Show, organized by Native Voices Foundation

Snow Triggers Shopping Frenzy at LA Ski Dazzle! “This is the most early snow in Southern California in 35 years,” say weather experts. The result was record-breaking, youthful crowds in a “pulsating frenzy” at LA’s Ski Dazzle Show, buying everything to go skiing and snowboarding in California and other Western resorts this magical season. “This was our best show ever,” said the euphoric producers, Judy Gray and Jim Foster, who gifted “Califonia’s First Caretakers” and the team of Red, White, Black and Yellow participants – the Black Elk Prophesy – in the Big Bear Medicine Wheel ceremony with free tickets, a booth and snow sports equipment.

Tribal Salute Reversing Manifest Destiny “Thanks for keeping the Rockies pristine,” says Governor Owens.

Denver, CO (PRWEB via SportsFeatures) November 8, 2004 — “Denver’s launch of the ‘Salute to America’s First Caretakers’ at Colorado’s SnowSports Expo just might be another reversal of Manifest Destiny,” beamed Olympic skier Suzy Chaffee at the Convention Center event on November 6. Two years ago, the New York Times wrote that the “Indian-led return of the buffalo to the Great Plains is resurrecting their ghost towns… and reversing Manifest Destiny.”

Thanksgiving Gift to Tribes by U.S. Skiers

Sacramento’s Salute to California’s First Caretakers at their Ski and Snowboard Show last weekend, launched the state’s inclusion into the national welcoming of the tribes back to over 1/4 million acres of their beloved ancestral mountains at 100 U.S. ski areas this season.

“BEST GAMES EVER,” SAY OLYMPIANS, TRIBES

Over a hundred people: Olympians, tribal people, spectators, and press from around the world, gathered near the steps of the Zappeion, a modern Olympic birth site, on Sunday, to celebrate the Greeks’ hosting of the acclaimed “Best Games Ever.” Greek Minister of Tourism Dimitris Avramopoulos and Christina Chanopoulou, of the European Organization of Strategic Planning, gave the gathering their enthusiastic blessings, and were thrilled with the sentiments “that the Greek Olympics turned out as the visionaries planned!”

CHUMASH EARTH DAY FOUNDER HONORED IN SANTA BARBARA

Akima “Rick” Castaneda, a unity leader of the Coastal Band of the Chumash, was honored by Olympic Skier Suzy “Chapstick” Chaffee on April 18, in Santa Barbara for being a founder of Earth Day. Earth lovers and dancers, singers, drummers from other tribes and cultures joined Akima in a spirited opening prayer to the Four Directions at the Sunken Gardens of the court house.

Utes, Olympians Join In Aspen’s Gratitude Ceremony

The Ute Indian Tribe, Colorado Olympians and Aspen community will join to celebrate the closing of an abundant snow season this Saturday, April 10th at 3 PM at the Gondola Plaza at the base of Aspen Mountain. The event is co-hosted by Native American Olympic Team Foundation (NVF), co-founded by Olympic skier Suzy Chaffee, and Integrative Sustainable Solutions (ISS), founded by UN Eco Award winner Joanie Klar.

TRIBAL HEROES HONORED IN TELLURIDE BLIZZARD

Telluride, Co. – The Ute drum again echoed thru the Telluride Mountains as a blizzard swirled around the splendid Ute Mountain Manning dancers during a press conference and “Gratitude Ceremony” on March 27. “It looks like our golf season has been postponed,” said the ecstatic Pete Woods, Telluride Ski and Golf Company’s marketing director at the gathering on the deck of the Inn at Lost Creek in the Mountain Village.

Creating joyful unity thru sports to heal Mother Earth for all our Children

“It’s wonderful seeing the Native Community opening the Birkebeiner Event,” said Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, as 30 splendid Lac Courte Oreille youth danced, drummed, chanted and whirled down Hayward’s Main Street on February 19th. They were a highlight of the Opening Ceremonies of the largest cross-country ski race in North America.

The stunning royalty in beaded crowns, representing the Woodland Tribes, then presented the Governor with a birchbark basket filled with Wisconsin’s yummiest tribal-made products – wild rice, wild rice pancake mix, maple syrup and sausages, plus a Boys and Girls Club Tee-shirt, thanks to Becky Taylor.

Valley Becomes Model for President’s Health Initiative

A 3-day long event united all of Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley toward a goal of providing a variety of sports activities to improve the health and self-esteem of Indians. From Aspen to Glenwood Springs, members of the Ute Indian Tribe of Fort Duchesne, Utah, skied, swam, skated, danced and shared culture.

The event, which included an announcement that the Utes will always be able to participate in Aspen’s new recreational facility for free, just as they have at Aspen’s skating rink, all the way down to Glenwood’s Sunlight Ski Area, helped make the valley a model to the President’s Initiative to restore the health of the “undeserved heroic Native Americans.”

9/11 Trend of Healing Hearts & Oneness

This Native coverage can demonstrate to the world how America has transformed since 9/11, which coincidentally is the code for “Help!” Never before have Americans and the world connected hearts in a deeper, more satisfying way – many finding that serving someone in need feels even better than serving ourselves, or being served. In hurting others we are hurting part of us. In healing the hearts of others, we are healing our hearts that were never healed from the atrocities of the Roman Empire and Inquisition, taking 9 million women and some men who had a spiritual connection with nature out of the gene pool. And in healing ourselves we are healing the world.

RCTIC ELDERS INVITE TO JOIN “MOTHER OF ALL EARTH PRAYERS”-MAY 31

ARCTIC VILLAGE – On May 31, Arctic Elders invite you, as a member of our Earth Family, to join them in the following Prayer to give love and appreciation to Mother Earth. On that day Indigenous Elders will also lead ceremonies at Mexico’s mystical Mt Kushumaa near San Diego. “Our intent is to further rebalance Mother Earth and Her weather for humanity, including helping Keep the Polar Ice Caps Cool, with the grace of God” said Olympic skier Suzy Chaffee, co-founder of Native American Olympic Team Foundation (NVF), the orchestrator.

“It is awesome how th

10 OTHER REASONS FOR AMERICAN INDIAN OLYMPIC INCLUSION

1. Out of appreciation, since Native Americans invented the roots of 10 Olympic sports, including team sports as a substitute for war: canoeing, kayaking, ice hockey, field hockey, 3 day marathon, sledding sports, Australian Crawl, baseball, basketball (with S.A.Tribes) and soccer.

INDIANS CAPTIVATE SKI AREA CARETAKERS With “Weapons of Mass Instruction”

Two American Indian superskiers captivated the hearts and minds of the next generation of skiers, as well as ski area leaders, at the “Salute to North America’s First Caretakers” at Seattle’s SnowSports Expo November 12-14. Kids were spellbound by their “weapons of mass instruction” – the magnificent eight foot Raven wings, storytelling, and snowdance of Tlingit x-treme skier Gene Tabagan, and the eight foot skis and shiny red war-painted suit of Tulalip speedski champ Stew Young.

Native Sports, Culture and Eco Exchanges

Thanks to Native Americans being the “No 1 Draw of the Salt Lake Olympics,” and Natives being the “showstoppers” at European and Asian Ski and Tourism Shows, say international marketing leaders, who are invited by world leaders to put on cultural shows… and thanks to award winning Indian films, like “Dances with Wolves,” “Smoke Signals,” “Thunderheart”… Native actors, reenactors, and film makers are bonafide stars, who, like Native Sports Stars and spiritual leaders, are ideal bridge makers between cultures, especially after the 9/11 tragedy.

What a surprise as I thought Americans and Canadians lost completely their links with the ancient roots, knowledge and traditions of the original inhabitants, so thanks for sharing and all your efforts. --Eduardo de la Barrera, Latin American

NAOTF’s inspiring work is helping bring racial harmony to America.”       -- President Bill Clinton

“As co-founder and Vice Chair of the U.S. House of Representative’s Native American Caucus (60 members), congratulations on your Native American Millennial Ski events. It’s heartening to know that there are groups like yours across America that are working to better the lives of their Indian friends and neighbors."     --Patrick Kennedy, Member of Congress 

"Congratulations on all the efforts of Native American Olympic Team Foundation. All of us at Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation hope that the success of our "Future Ute Olympians Program" (taught by Billy's Olympic coaches) will stimulate other resorts and towns to host Native American youth for ski and snowboarding experiences. If we may be of further help in spreading the word, please let us know." --Chris Diamond, President, and Billy Kidd, Director of Skiing