UN Launches 2011 Ocean Healing Strategy with Aztecs

This officially launches the worldwide Elders-led ocean healing ceremonies leading up to U.N.’s International Mother Earth Day on April 22, 2011, initiated by the Bolivians. World tribes regularly perform ceremonies where the drums call in ancestral and Nature spirits to powerfully send love and appreciation to Mother Earth’s oceans, but given our world eco crisis, the Bolivians saw we need to work cross-culturally.

UN’s International Mother Earth Day Ceremonies Launched – Ute/Navajo Blessings Delight Vail’s World Cup

VAIL, Colo., Dec. 14 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — On Saturday, December 4, 2010, renowned Southern Ute/Navajo Elders, Eddie and Betty Box Jr. and their dancer/skiers launched UN’s International Mother Earth Day Ceremonies to open Vail’s Super G at Beaver Creek, and were blessed with a beautiful day so the races could resume, Native American Olympic Team Foundation announced.

National Ski and Snowboard Expos Outreach Native American Kids

Indians honored as Pioneers of Skiing this Vancouver Olympic “Tribal” Year. I am so proud that the top Ski and Snowboard Shows in America are leading an outreach to Native kids this Vancouver “Tribal” Olympic Year. Ski Legends, like Billy Kidd, Donna Weinbrecht, and Wayne Wong are getting the word out at the shows that underserved American Indian kids are warmly welcomed to participate in the Free and Discounted “Learn a Snow Sport” Programs in most snow states, along with mainstream youth.

Hail Billie Jean King and Ted Kennedy – Native American Contributors to Title 1X

Native Americans can take pride that Tennis icon Billie Jean King, a Cherokee, and Ted Kennedy, descendant of an honorary Iroquois Chief, did wonders to create equal opportunities for girls/women in sports and education in America and abroad. By enforcing the 1972 Title 1X Education Amendments Act, they actually helped restore those equitable traditional ways of the First Americans, which were interrupted in the last 150 years.

Jim Thorpe’s Sons Bolster Native American Olympic Dream

Heart-warming steps toward realizing a dream of creating a Native American Olympic Team were made at Oklahoma’s City’s “American Indian Sovereignty Symposium” on June 4, 2009. At the sports panel Bill and Jack Thorpe, sons of the late Jim Thorpe, voted the “Greatest Athlete in Modern Times,” joined forces and then offered critical resources to help Indian youth vie for the 2012 London and 2014 Russian Olympics.

Sportswomen Applaud Suzy ‘Chapstick’ Chaffee’s Title 1X ‘Pioneering’

“To spirited applause by the ‘phenomenal’ female champions honored at the ’35th Annual Sportswomen of Colorado Hall of Fame Benefit’ in Denver on March 8, Olympic skier Suzy Chaffee received the prestigious ‘Pioneer Award’ for helping their dreams come true. In 1975, Suzy led the Title 1X March in DC that led to giving equal opportunities to women in school sports,” said guest Cleo Arellano (Apache), a Bank of Omaha executive and supporter of the Native American Olympic Team Foundation (NAOTF), co-founded by Chaffee.

OLYMPIANS HONOR TRIBAL GIFTS TO OLYMPICS AT ATHENS

Olympians from seven countries honored Native Americans at the 2004 Athens Olympics for their gifts to the roots of 10 Olympic sports at the site of the first Modern Games in 1896. L-R US Olympic skier co-host Suzy Chaffee with Fernando Jose (Navajo/Inca), Ullarik (Inca), Helen Korevesis of Olympic Truce, Chasque (Taos Pueblo), Condor (Inca), and Greek Olympic co-host Mike Voudouris, who also helped bring Iraqis to the Games.

Diving from Heaven

On October 7, 2008, Carrie Holmes, 30, and a team of international skydivers became the first to skydive from above Mount Everest. With oxygen tanks and custom high altitude jumpsuits, the 16-person team broke a world record when they jumped from above the summit and landed in the highest drop zone ever—at 12,350 feet in the nearby village of Syangboche. —As told to Bryn Fox

Six Year-Old Indian Delaney Tyon is Nastar National Ski Champion

“I’m so proud of Delaney,” said Olympian Billy Kidd (Abenaki), now Captaining the Native American Olympic Ski Team. “He’s the fastest six-year-old on skis. Four runs means he was consistently fast,” said Kidd, who put Delaney and his grandparents, Kathy and Lou of Pine Ridge, SD, under his wing, including jobs. And the pint-sized phenomenon got coaching at Steamboat’s Winter Sports Club, producer of over 60 Olympians.

Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Stephen Schneider Hails Tribal Snow Contributions: ‘Whatever Works, Go For It!’

“I think it is wonderful that ski areas have been inviting the tribes back to ski and snowboard, which inspired them this winter to share their earth-honoring prayers and snowdances for all U.S. Ski Areas. It would be wise to further explore and expand such cross-fertilization,” said Stanford Climatologist Dr. Stephen Schneider, 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Winner as part of the Intergovernmental Panel for Change Climate (IPCC) team, who has been working with the Native American Olympic Team Foundation.
Graduating Hawaiian and Maori Stanford Fellows and Native American Olympic Team Foundation’s (2nd from left) Dick Enersen and Olympic skier Suzy Chaffee, who have been exploring tribal solutions to “Keep Winters Cool” with Nobel Laureate Dr. Stephen Schneider.)

SKI AREAS END “AWESOME SEASON” WITH GRATITUDE CEREMONIES

Telluride, Colorado, April 11 – On Closing Day for Spirit Mountain, Wisconsin, 14 yr old ‘Honor the Earth Princess,’ Mariah Cooper (Lac Courte-Oreille-Oneida), a Native American Olympic Hopeful, led their first Snow Gratitude Ceremony. They joined Steamboat, Telluride, Ascutney (VT) and Arizona Snowbowl in ceremonies expressing appreciation for one of the best American snow years,“ said amazed Olympic skier Suzy “Chaptick” Chaffee, Native Voices Foundation (NVF) sponsor.

Euro Leaders Support Native American Olympic Inclusion

Celebrating Veysonnaz Switzerland as the Training Center for the Native American Olympic Ski Team – L to R: Tulalip speed ski champ Stew Young, Veysonnaz owner Jean Marie Fournier, Ski and Music Festival host Princess Caroline Murat, and Olympic/Freestyle ski champ Suzy Chaffee.

Tribes Share Wisdom To Prevent Natural Disasters

As a result of a heart-melting gift to her friends, of an Indian children’s dance to launch a wiser New Year, Denise Rich, Aspen’s Grammy award-winning philanthropist, is helping the tribes get their message out to the mainstream on how to heal the Earth and prevent natural disasters, in the wake of the devastating Tsunami. NBC Today Show Host, Katie Couric, and Wendy Whitworth, executive producer of the Larry King Show, and their children were among the guests uplifted by Denver’s 7 Falls Dancers. The star was two year old Penelope Rodriquez, formerly known as “Sometimes She Dances, Sometimes She Doesn’t,” fresh from a command performance for the Lieutenant Governors of America.
*Photo Caption: (close-up of Penelope) Two year old Penelope Rodriguez (Pawnee) of Denver’s “7 Falls Dancers,” melts hearts at Denise Rich’s old fashion launch of Aspen’s New Year. Photo credit: Jeffrey Finesilver

OLYMPIANS HONOR TRIBAL GIFTS TO OLYMPICS AT ATHENS

While celebrating the Greeks for their greatest gift to peace, joy and health, in history – The Olympic Games… and the French for reviving the Olympics in 1896, Olympians from seven countries honored Native Americans at Athens for inventing the roots of 10 Olympics Sports, at the site of the first Modern Games. A group of about 75 Olympians and their families and spectators there also hailed the contributions of other tribal peoples around the world.

Chaffee honoring speedski champ Stew Young

Chaffee honoring speedski champ Stew Young, as well as MVP’s of the Salt Lake Native American Olympic Opening Ceremonies, Forest Cuch and Larry Blackhair (N. Utes), and Olympic ice dancing star Naomi Lang (Karuk), at NAOTF’s Olympic press conference and reception that inspired the world story: “Indians End Games End Game on High Note.”

NATIVE TRIES OUT FOR NBA

Warlance Foster, Navajo-Lakota basketball star, with Nuggets manager Kiki Vandeweghe (Blackfeet heritage) during his “impressive” NBA tryout at Denver’s Pepsi Center.

Honoring the First Americans and Creating Native Olympians

King Oyo of Uganda and his royal entourage, including the queen mother and the kingdom’s prime minister, visited Keystone Resort Saturday and met with Ute Indian representatives from the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Utah. The Ute contingent included drummers, dancers, a teacher and James Martinez, who carried the Olympic torch through Aspen. Ugandans living in Denver and representatives of the International Olympic Committee, along with donations from Keystone and the Four Points Sheraton in Silverthorne, made the cultural exchange possible.

Royal Support

Princess Caroline has invited Suzy and Stew Young, Tulalip speed ski champion and member of the newly forming Native American Olympic Ski Team (before his World Cup event in Austria) to her Ski and Music Festival in Veysonnaz, Switzerland Feb 11-19, 2005, sponsored by Credit Suisse.

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