"I'd like the thank the tribes if they are responsible for this early fluke snow storm that dumped two to four feet in the San Bernadino Mountains, and put them on our staff," announced Fritz Coleman, KNBC Channel 4 LA's weatherman. " I made a few calls to find out whether the tribes were at the bottom of it, and on Saturday, Dec. 4, at the LA Ski Dazzle Show at their Convention Center (1201 South Figueroa St), skiers have a chance to thank the Southern California tribes for the ceremony that brought economic lifting snow to the mountain communities," reported Olympic skier, Suzy Chaffee, the tribal event host.
Rene Doctor, a Tahitian married to Louis Doctor (Navajo/Dine), who was a part of the ceremony, told Chaffee that, "At dawn on November 15, members of local tribes and as well as an Abenaki and Lakota, united with other colors of humanity - Whites, Blacks, and Yellow People - and performed a prophetic Big Bear Medicine Wheel Ceremony, singing sacred prayer songs in the eight cardinal points encircling the San Bernadinos with Big Bear at the center." "Following the devastating fires last year, the purpose," said ceremonial leader, Bennie LeBeau (Shoshone), "was to help the drought-ridden area, especially the trees and springs, with snow and rain." The Cabizon Tribe in Indio (near San Bernadino) also did ceremonial prayers.
The LA show is the finale of a national "Salute To America's First Caretakers" at Ski & Snowboard Shows/Expos in Denver, Seattle, and Sacramento. In appreciation for the ski areas sharing the skiing with tribal youth, the tribes' spiritual leaders have led snowdances in each of those regions, which resulted in some of the best early snow in America ever! This year, California's snow, ("thanks to Creator," say the tribes), both in the San Bernadinos and Mammoth, (first to have a Native ski program in schools), has been the most abundant and early.
At Saturday's presentations at 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., a united group of some of Southern California's most magnificent dancers, singers, drummers (many skiers), representing the Coastal Band Chumash, San Manuel, and Pala Tribes, as well as Shoshone and Doctor's (Dine) Rock Pine Drum, all led by Akima Castenada (Chumash), will share their earth-honoring dances and sustainable wisdom. This dream of partnering ski areas with California's First Caretakers, came out of Chaffee's honoring Akima (and people of Santa Barbara) last April, for being a father of Earth Day, while a junior high school student. Also the star of Universal Studios story of the First Californians with Woopy Goldberg, Castenada became Native Voices Foundation's west coast leader, hoping to inspire the same opportunities for their tribal youth as other regions.
Leading LA's Salute will be a team of "Environmental Champions," led by Gary Petersen of BioConverter, who is exploring a collaboration between Governor Arnold's Hydrogen Highway and the California Tribes, including discussions with fellow saluter William F. Cody (Blackfoot), a descendent of Buffalo Bill. Penny McCoy, (Chaffee's Olympic teammate), who is now a Mammoth Mountain owner and author, will also be speaking from the heart, and signing her eye opening book, "Winning is Everything, But..."
Plus, there may be surprise salutes by other "Eco Activists," Olympians who want to coach Native American kids at California ski areas.
This Ski Show Tour happened thanks to Olympic skier Billy Kidd (Abenaki) who suggested to Chaffee, Native Voices Foundation co-founder, that she organize a Ute snow ceremony at last year's Denver Expo in appreciation to ten Colorado ski communities for sharing skiing with their tribes. Many "snow farmers," like Aspen, were blessed with up to 15 feet of economy-lifting snow, which made believers out of over 100 U.S. ski areas who want be a part of the Salutes this season.
On Thanksgiving, NVF reported to world press, that U.S. ski areas are welcoming their tribes back to over a quarter million acres of their beloved, exquisite ancestral mountains to ski and snowboard. "This partnership with the tribes is strengthening the future of skiing and helping keep 'winters cool,'" said Michael Berry, President of the National Ski Areas Association. Another bulletin just in: "I just came from Akima-Puebo's "Sky City Arts and Crafts Festival" where there was an announcement saying that they were grateful to Creator and the Nature spirits for the ton of snowblessings they had prayed for their drought-challenged lands and ski areas in Arizona and New Mexico, in addition to the Laguna Pueblo, " said Coleen Lloyd (Cherokee), designer of the hot Native American "Homeland Security" T-Shirt.
"Tribal youth are thrilled at how Ski Dazzle producers Judy Gray and Jim Foster are making this an "awesome" celebration by offering complimentary tickets to tribal members at will call on Salute Day," said Chaffee. This Salute is made possible thanks to the Paiute Tribe (near Mammoth), "Mercury in Retrograde" documentary producers (offering free mercury testing), NUTIVA (nutritional Hemp alternative to fish), TPTs/Westwindworld.com's T-Shirts, and SweetLeaf Stevia (discovered by Brazilian tribes now keeping much of the world lean and diabetes free).
For more information contact: www.nativevoices.org, suzynativevoices@aol.com, tel: 970-4040687 |
