Thanksgiving Gift to Tribes by U.S. Skiers

(PRWEB) November 27, 2004 -- 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.

The Salute spelled a historic evolutionary landmark in consciousness for both cultures to celebrate this Thanksgiving, led by the "kindred with Nature" skiers. A catalyst for the breakthrough at the Sacramento show was the first contact between the skiers and the "awesome" Maidu Dancers and Traditionals of the region, who conjured up a paradisal California of 30,000 years ago."

"I come as a representative of Mammoth Mountain, sharing a desire to help in the vision of the healing of the Nations using skiing as a platform. I come as a human being thanking the Native Americans for taking care of these lands, stemming from their values of taking only what they need and leaving the rest for all our children. I come as a white man asking forgiveness for my ancestors....," said a near tearful, glowing Penny McCoy, Olympic skier, author, and a Mammoth owner, leading the Salute.

Inspired by the show, on Thanksgiving eve, Penny shared, "My dream is to have a Native American Ski and Snowboard Team to compete in the Jr. Olympics." Responded Paiute leader and long time skier Paul Chavez, "We thank Mammoth for including our youth in a school program, and are now pleased and honored that Penny may be further recognizing our local Native People with this powerful and exciting prevention opportunity for our youth." Chavez is executive director of Owens Valley Career Development Center in Bishop, a national model of education services.

Following the dances and blessings at the Sacramento Show, McCoy's Olympic teammate and host, Suzy Chaffee, honored Midou dancer Lucy Parker,hailing from the Mewuk-Paiute Tribes, for also being California's top Native ski racer. Now a Mammoth instructor and mother to five champion skiers and boarders, Lucy shared that, "skiing, as well as basket-weaving with her Mewuk Yosemite Tribe, opened the world to me and my family. I was chosen to give my baskets to Queen Elizabeth and the King of Norway." A descendent of the Indigenous Sami (Laplander inventors of skiing), the King, in appreciation, gave Lucy three pair of Head Skis in the 60's, which helped her family become nearly unbeatable.

Watching the Salute was Canadian Olympic Gold Medalist Nancy Green of Canada. When her husband, Olympic coach Al Raine, shared how they sent buses to the First Nations' reservation near Whistler 15 years ago, to give them a chance to ski, in hopes of developing an employee base for the ski resort, Chaffee patted them on the back for helping Whistler become the runaway "Most Popular Ski Area in North America." "The key to everything is the kids," said Green, a national hero. With "American Indians being the No. 1 draw at the Salt Lake Olympics," according to organizers, this may open up other ski areas to follow in Whistler and Telluride's moccasins.

Another heartfelt Salute was by William F. Cody (Blackfeet), great, great cousin of Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Shows, who did perhaps more than any other in preserving the Native culture. While Chaffee was remarking that the descendents of the legends, Buffalo Bill and Billy Kidd (actually Abenaki tribal descendent of pirate Captain Kidd), have come back to help the tribes, Cody yelled, "Who is that masked man?" It turned out to be Stew Young, in his speed skiing helmet and red vinyl suit, one of the fastest skiers on earth, of the Tulalip Tribe.

Green was later in line getting a signed copy of Penny's eye-opening book, "Winning Is Everything, But...," which Chaffee said, "could save you decades in becoming a champion of skiing and life, especially in this faith-based era."

At the end, Chaffee presented Penny, on behalf of her dad, Dave McCoy, a ceramic bear with Sequoias painted on it. "The bear, which represents the 'great nurturer' to the tribes, is for Dave and his family for giving me my French coaching break to make the US Olympic Team, before women were fully discovered to be humans. It did wonders for my life, including the power to do important programs like this to help ensure that all our children have our same opportunities to ski. And Mammoth, (where she got to ski for the first time yesterday since a hip replacement), must be doing something right, they got the best snow in the America!" said Chaffee.

Heavenly Valley is the Tahoe leader, sharing skiing with the Washoe Tribe and the first ski resort to honor a tribe with an Interpretive Center.

The Sacramento Salute was possible thanks to Native American Olympic Team Foundation, in partnership with the Washoe and Paiute Tribes with special thanks to ski director Sharon White Fawn, as well as Mammoth's Carl and Missy McCoy. It is also sponsored by NUTIVA (Hemp nutrition & sustainable ag), SweetLeaf Stevia (discovered by Brazilian Tribes that keeps much of the world lean and diabetes free.)

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