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.

"Look at those beautiful, talented children!" (dancers beamed up on the Jumbotron), said Cindy Stinger, manager of the US Olympic Alumni Association. Torrance Blue Feather, 11-yr old Northern Ute dancer and all-round athlete, marveled at his "chance of a lifetime," participating in the Nuggets first tribal basketball clinic, led by Mark Randall. Torrance also got to know, thanks to a reception for promising Ute and Denver Indian youth, 17 Colorado winter and summer Olympians, who were then presented to Nuggets fans on center court. It made for a glorious united celebration of Colorado's First Caretakers and Olympic Ambassadors.

Although most witnessed the spectacular pageantry at the Native American Opening of the Utah Olympics, called the "Greatest Show on Earth," the fans and Olympians remarked how they were knocked out by the champion dancers, who were also in town for the renowned Denver March Pow wow. Grace Gillette organized the uplifting spectacular, and Head Man Jonathan Windyboy, MC'd it.

The event was a mutual dream of Olympic skier Suzy Chaffee, co-chairman of Native American Olympic Team Foundation, Olympic fencer Elaine Cheris, President of the Colorado Olympians, and Shawn Martinez, the Navajo director of the half time shows at the Pepsi Center. It was all possible thanks to visionary Kiki Vandeweghe, Nuggets general manager. Perhaps it was the blessings and energy of the spirited drumming, chanting and dancing at games, the clinics, Kiki giving hot Navajo-Lakota Warlance Foster a tryout, Nuggets/Olympian Bill Haslick planning an All Indian Western Basketball Championships at their new Crown facility this spring... but Kiki's players have coincidentally won all three games where the tribes have been involved. Its also inspired him to reconnect with his Blackfeet heritage.

Impressed also by Native stars, like Cheyenne speed skier Ross Anderson, "the fastest American on skis, and second in the world in 2001," Cheris and Stinger are now gathering a list of qualifying times in all speed sports for Native Olympic hopefuls to be invited for coaching at the Olympic Training Centers in Colorado Springs and San Diego... "This is a befitting gesture this Greek Olympics year, in appreciation for Native Americans helping invent six Olympic Sports," said Chaffee. "The U.S. could win more medals, especially in those sports, if more Native talent had opportunities to train here," said Dave Stow, Director of the San Diego Center.

The vehicle for this historic partnership is the Olympic Tribal Exchange Program that the Colorado Olympians launched at the mixer Monday night. The Olympians will be sharing clinics in the favorite sports of the youth of the Denver Indians and Ute Reservations, and are now psyched, in turn, about going to pow wows and earth-honoring ceremonies, so they can together help preserve Rocky Mountain's playgrounds for future generations. While other Olympians, like boxer Evander Holyfield, are excited about taking part in these exchanges, Colorado is the first to get the ball rolling.

At the Nuggets victory party Olympians shared insights on how clubs with a "money, and winning is everything philosophy," resulted in athletes who don't win often feeling like failures. In contrast, Gary Crawford, Olympic Nordic/Vice President of the Colorado Olympians, mentioned that Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, "has a legacy of encouraging children to be champions, both on the hill and off." "That's the closest to the Native American and original Greek philosophy, that sports is a joyful, body-mind-spiritual activity," said Chaffee. Steamboat, where Vt Abenaki Olympic skier Billy Kidd founded the "Ute Future Olympians Program", has produced, as a bi-product, more than any other community in the World - 56 Olympians!

Contact: SMartinez@PepsiCenter.com, for pictures, Elaine Cheris: 720-5306475 or cfsmpc@aol.com, www.colorado-olympians.org, and Native American Olympic Team Foundation, 970-922 5406, suzynativevoices@aol.com, www.nativevoices.org