10 OTHER REASONS FOR AMERICAN INDIAN OLYMPIC INCLUSION
2. Another inspiration that is connecting ski areas and tribes was the appearance at the Western Ski Shows in November 04, (organized by NAOTF) of the top Native skiers in America, who formed the Native American Ski Team. They include: Captain, Billy Kidd (Abenaki) Olympic Alpine Silver Medallist, Stew Young, World Cup speed skier (Tulalip "Killer Whale" Tribe), Gene Tagaban, x-treme skier-racer (Tlinkit-Cherokee, who captivated ski shows storytelling in his 10 ft Raven wing regalia), plus Ross Anderson, (Cheyenne), speed ski champion featured in Sports Illustrated. Our team and the First Nations team are excited about doing exchanges that Whistler and Apex want to host, along with hosting of our speed skiers for competitions in Canada.
3. More on Canada: "The First Nations of Canada received a $3 million Legacy Fund from the Vancouver Olympic Organizers, thanks to the help of Canadian Olympic skier, Steve Podborsky, (a seed planted by Chaffee). Last summer we started training a First Nations Snowboard Team, which will soon include all five regions of Canada, coached by Canada's Snowboard Olympians, to give them a chance to compete in our 2010 Games," said mastermind Aaron Marchant of the Squamish Nation near Whistler.
4. The formation of the Native American Olympic Ski Team was also inspired by the SnowSports Industry sharing over $.5 million in snowsports equipment, at Billy Kidd's suggestion. "A partnership with the tribes is key to strengthening the future of skiing and keeping winters cool," said Michael Berry, President of the National Ski Areas Association. Another environmental impact of the tribal snow ceremonies (on www.nativevoices.org) is Skiing Magazine's Jan 04 issue calling the tribal ceremonies a cost-effective alternative to toxic cloud seeding. Through the friendships with the tribal skiing, environmental challenges of ski towns like Telluride, have been solved almost overnight.
5. In America, Mammoth Mt, CA, which gave Chaffee her Olympic break, led by teammate Penny McCoy, hopes to be the training center for a Native American Ski and Snowboard Team for the Jr Olympics, taught partly for both the Native American and other Olympic Team members, who will also scout for talent. Plus John Naber, President of the US Olympic Alumni Association, announced at the Salt Lake Olympics that he, himself (swimmer), would like to launch Olympic Exchanges (by many of their 6,000 members), at reservations across America. (with the help of sponsors...)
6. As a result of the abuses from the government boarding schools, all but two out of 400 treaties were broken by the US Government, and not feeling welcome into the Olympic Family left over from the Jim Thorpe tragedy, Native Americans have a 20 year less life expectancy, compared to the rest of the races in America. More than any other way, sports (combined with counseling) has been found to heal and uplift their self-esteem and spirits to again lead joyful productive lives. Thanks to the success of NAOTF's ski programs, we were chosen to spearhead the President's Healthier US Initiative on behalf of the "underserved, heroic Native American population in the great outdoors." (President Bush) Though NAOTF has never received any government funds.
7. Perhaps in appreciation for Northern Ute spiritual leader, Roland McCook, leading a Protection (against terrorism) Ceremony at the Salt Lake Olympics (supported by Muhammad Ali and organized by NAOTF), and the year before, NAOTF and Rose Anne Abrahamson, the descendent of Sakajawea, led a successful snow ceremony (sponsored also by Ski Utah), since there had been no snow the previous year. This year at the Athens Olympics, Woody Vaspra (Hawaiian), President of the World Council of Elders, who was a professional football and baseball player, and Chaffee wrote the "Protection Prayer for the Athens Olympics," which was the number one story out of 2,000 on sportsfeatures.com, the Olympic Press Website, on Opening Ceremonies Day. Then Olympians from seven countries honored the tribes of the Americas (brought by Mayor of Athens) for their gifts to the roots of Olympics sports on Closing Ceremonies day in Athens.
8. While a handful of successful Indian Gaming Casino tribes have improved the health as well as voice of their people in mainstream, they still have not healed and restored their body, mind and spirit- balanced sports philosophy that predates Atlantis. Though the California Morongo Band of the Mission Indians funded NAOTF's Protection Ceremony at Salt Lake and the press conference (attended by IOC's Sec General Francoise Zweifel) that gave Native Americans a world Voice, and resulted in the final uplifting international story, "Indians End Games on High Note." The Paiutes (who have a small casino), near Mammoth, led by skier Paul Chavaz, who heads the Owens Valley Career Development Program, have been the biggest tribal supporters of NAOTF's ski programs. But through this European Olympic outreach, this can be a huge, warm wake-up call to help them restore their balance lost only in these last 100 years. And by igniting their dreams and preserving their earth-honoring traditions, and helping us remember ours, much of which our European ancestors lost in the Roman Empire and Inquisition, we can create a sustainably abundant world - with their tribal wisdom and our power.
9. In lifting Native Americans, as well as other world tribes through the Olympics, we can help rebalance our world. At the turn of the last century, Carl Jung, the Swiss Father of Modern Psychology, came to America looking for examples of healthy psychological people, ("not finding any in Europe"). He found them living with the Pueblo Indians in New Mexico, and the key is: getting high naturally through sports, dance... (our urge to merge with Creator); spending time in Nature to heal and develop intuition; participating in an art project to express who we are; and finding a higher purpose to give back to the greater good. NAOTF is also supported by the Guinness's of Ireland and England, and their friends, who want to host a "Healing of the Continents," led by Europe and Native America, (with conference celebrating their ancient sustainable wisdom) during their Festival of World Cultures near Dublin in August. (there is a valley of tipis in Whales...) Sponsors welcome!
10. Billy Kidd,
captain of the Native American Ski Team, suggested that to
also prepare Native ski and snowboard youth for future Games,
that the IOC might graciously invite a group of Native American
Olympic hopefuls to the start of some of the ski races in
Italy so they can feel first hand what it is like to compete...
And forerun some of the Olympic ski or snowboard races when
the talent is there.
Opening the door to truly welcome Indigenous Nations, like
those of North America, will help rekindle and restore the
sacredness of Mount Olympus and the earth-honoring philosophy
of all our ancient ancestors, to the Modern Games! The IOC/USOC
will be respected even more for walking their talk. According
to the U.N. over 1,000 tribes are lost to humanity each year
around the world. The balance of Globalization with the preservation
of Indigenous Cultures (and their priceless wisdom), visionary
leaders say is key to a sustainable abundant future beyond
our wildest dreams!
On behalf of Native American Ski Team, NAOTF Board and Advisors,
and the 7th Generation of American Indians (that decides...),
we deeply thank you for your consideration and passing this
on!
Stew Young, Native
American Olympic Ski Team Suzy Chaffee, NAOTF Co-chair