Native Sports, Culture and Eco Exchanges
Natives as Peace Ambassadors
Korean Expo
Bridges to Europe
Bridges to Canada
South America, Australia, China and Russia.

Thanks to Native Americans being the “No 1 Draw of the Salt Lake Olympics,” and Natives being the “showstoppers” at European and Asian Ski and Tourism Shows, say international marketing leaders, who are invited by world leaders to put on cultural shows... and thanks to award winning Indian films, like “Dances with Wolves,” “Smoke Signals,” “Thunderheart”... Native actors, reenactors, and film makers are bonafide stars, who, like Native Sports Stars and spiritual leaders, are ideal bridge makers between cultures, especially after the 9/11 tragedy.

Natives as Peace Ambassadors

Native Americans make brilliant peacemakers, as you also need to have the mind of a great warrior to be able to see both sides and protect yourself. Lakota Chief Mel Lonehill, descendent of Fools Crow, came to ski and lead NVF's (Peace) Pipe Ceremony at Telluride's '99 World Snowboard Championships. Youth from 25 countries and 6 Indian Nations, during the Kosovo War, joined in healing America’s own ethnic cleansing history. “The best way to teach other countries about human rights and the environment,” said an Austrian Olympic skier, “is by example in your country.”

Korean Expo

At Telluride’s Millennial Celebration, we also honored the Manning
Family of the Ute Mountain reservation near Cortez. They were fresh back from singing the praises of Colorado Ski Areas at the Korean Expo to 2.5 Pacific Rimmers. The Manning dancers, who were the stars of the Expo, just as Natives Americans are are the showstoppers of ski and travel shows throughout Europe, donated their time in gratitude for Telluride’s gesture of helping them learn how to fly like eagles on skis and snowboards.

BRIDGE TO EUROPE

When Ross Anderson arrived in Telluride for the first event with the Utes, a Japanese film crew was following him. A superstar in Europe and Asia, Ross Anderson had a vision in 1997, of creating a
bridge to Europe. That dream may be realized soon by French Princess Carolina Murat (star pianist of the Paris Millennial Celebration) who wants to host a Native American Ski Celebration in Gstaad, Switzerland,
during her Gstaad Music Festival, for Euro leaders to honor the contributions of the First Americans. (Franklin and Jefferson brought democracy to the world through the French.) A descendent of Napoleon,
living in Monaco, Carolina joined the NVF Team after meeting Northern Ute Chairman, Roland McCook, (descendent of beloved Chipeta, wife of Chief Ouray), when NVF was hosting a welcoming for him at the Aspen Center of Environmental Studies, and got Carolina by calling a “wrong” number.

TO CANADA, SOUTH AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, CHINA, RUSSIA
In the last two years, NVF has either been contacted by or is fostering cultural exchanges with the following countries:

Canada, several members of the First Nations have joined our board, and former Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Phil Fontaine called to explore starting a Native Ski Program there; South America, through Bariloche, Argentina’s Ski Area and the Minister of Tourism, who wants to host a celebration honoring the Tribes of North and South America, fulfilling the prophecy of uniting the people of the Eagle and Condor of North and South America.

Australia - Press leaders, Australians and Olympic Freestyle Skier, Aborigine Sharon Leotta, (an exception to the rule-does triple twisting double flips), “want our Native American skiers to come for a Sister
Olympic Indigenous Celebration, which would also inspire their ski resorts to give them opportunities”;

China, a businesswoman called NVF’s aid, Scott Halazon,to create a Native American
sports/dance/environmental exchange with their future Sister Olympic City.

The Russians want a similar exchange to reconnect them with their Earth honoring roots to assist them in raising awareness about their ailing environment. Scott had assisted Gil Robertson, Ambassador-at-Large to China and Russia, and was honored by the Mayor of Moscow for successfully delivering American Food Aid to Russian Orphans during the transition.

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