“Mother
Earth Really Listens”
Telski’s
Marketing Director, Mike Hess, gave Rollingbears a season’s
pass and said, “we’d like to have you on our staff.”
The Indian and the Olympian replied, “We’d like to
start a Native Ski Program.” It was fertile ground for
such a program thanks to Telski’s French Ski School
Director, Annie Savath, who for the 10 years before NVF had
been inviting kids from the nearby Navajo Rez Schools to ski
one weekend a year. Oprah Winfrey, who owned a lodge in Telluride,
had helped fund an “Inner city/Native American ski weekend”
in the early ‘90’s. Meanwhile
Rollingbears and Chaffee fell in love. 4 weather "coincidences"
later, including being invited to assist Kansan farmers, (friends
of Bob Beer, the supportive editor of “Telluride Daily
Planet”), who were on the verge of losing their farms from
the worst drought in 120 years. When Chaffee saw the big black
cloud coming following Rollingbears live radio ceremony, she
realized that "Mother Earth really listens." Becoming
aware of the need for intercultural understanding and its far-reaching
ecological implications, she found herself dedicating her life
to NVF’s mission.
Later
she learned that Vail, pioneered by Pete Seibert, a 10th Mt
Division hero from Aspen, had since the ‘60’s, started
inviting Ute spiritual leaders to lead snow ceremonies to save
them. In the last decade Aspen, Durango Resort, Steamboat, as
well as resorts around Lake Tahoe, have all experienced similar
snow blessings. That what many of our ancient ancestors used
to know how to do.
Ministers Apologizing
Following
the weather coincidences, Suzy learned from her brother Mark’s
Pentecostal newsletter, in 1996, “that ministers have been
expressing tearful apologies to Native Americans at Stadium
gatherings across America (including Cortez and Sand Creek,
Co), for misinterpreting their religion, stealing their lands
(2 out of 400 treaties honored), and killing over 40 million
Native peoples in North America, including with painful, small
pox-laced blankets.”
Carrying
Wisdom of our Ancestors
Chaffee
saw the light, thanks also to researching the Ancient Greek
Games in Olympia, and her teammate, Boris Said, inviting her
to his filming of the “Mystery of the Sphinx” in Egypt.
Chaffee, as well as Bill Bradley and Muhammad Ali, whom she
worked to unite world athletes to successfully return the integrity
of the Ancient Games to the Modern,
realized that Native Americans carry the earth-honoring wisdom
of our ancient ancestors (Celts, Italy’s Eutruscans, French
Catars...) that had been genocided out of us in the Roman Empire
and Inquisition. Attending Rollingbears sweat lodge, where she
became aware of the Ute Spirits of
the valley, and that by doing positive things the people of
Telluride could together heal the Ute curse, she talked to a
Southern Ute leader, Eugene Naranjo, who was participating at
the Carradine Family’s “Wild West Days” in Telluride.
(Keith is a NVF supporter). Suzy asked, “How would the
Utes like to start a healing here?” A few week later he
responded, "The Ute Nation would like to have a celebration
of unity for the benefit of all our children." Telluride’s
First Event In 1997, NVF assisted Telluride in inviting the
“Blue Sky People” back to their ancestral lands in
the “Shining Mountains” to share the joy of skiing
at a "Welcome Home Ute Celebration" weekend. At the
ceremony the Mayor, Judge, and Telski's owner Ron Allred spoke
from the heart to 30 tribal leaders, Elders, dancers and children.
Following an exchange of gifts, many had tears of hope when
they were asked to join the magnificent “Ute Heritage Dancers”
(who performed at the Goodwill Games in St Petersburg, at Gorbechev’s
request), in a Friendship Circle Dance. NVF Ambassador Ross
Anderson The Ignacio based Southern Utes invited Ross Anderson,
a Cheyenne-Apache-Arapahoe speed skier, as he is a beautiful
role model for kids of both cultures. He reverently carries
the stones of Mother Earth with him and prays for the safety
of fellow competitiors.“I’m here to help these youth
become champions so that one they they can someday beat my record
(140 mph),” he said. (in the video docu promo on this website)
A member of the Native American Sports Council, Ross went on
to become NVF's Ambassador and to pioneer the program at Durango
Mountain Resort and become the “Fastest American on Skis,”
and second in the world in 2001.
Suzy's
Motivation
After
the Olympics, Chaffee gave sports clinics in the ghettos with
summer athletes, and found the real Olympic high was giving
back. This work with NVF is her way of giving back and to insure
that Natives and all youth the magical opportunities that she
has in life. As a pioneer of snowdancing, teaching Natives to
dance down their sacred ancestral mountains, touches a deep
chord. Plus skiing in Vermont connected her to her intuitive
voice. Just riding a ski lift after a snowfall, I say to myself,
“This is why God put us on the planet,” said Suzy.
Her first
coach, Joe Jones, a beautiful Abenaki skier, whom her father
Keen gave his first lesson, went on to inspire her and 4 other
Vermonters on the road to the Olympics. “This all started
when my dad and grandfather, (my ancestors restocked deer in
Vermont in the 1860’s), came back with wild stories after
fishing and hunting with the Mic Macs and Allegehanies in Canada,”
said Suzy. Coincidentally, she was born the day of the Sand
Creek Massacre, the most barbaric moment in US history, the
day St Francis, her guide, the great white Indian, was made
a Saint (Chaffee made a pilgrimage to Assisi), and the day the
BIA made a quiet apology to Native Americans in
2000.
Alden
Naranjo’s Motivation
"As
a Unity Leader of Colorado for 13 years, I could see that working
with Suzy and skiing could greatly accelerate our dream for
all Creator’s children. She has done a great job. My son
Keeton and I have even taken up skiing together. I named the
foundation, Native Voices, because it is time for our voices
to be heard. I'd also like to see unity of all Indigenous tribes."
(The Prophesy of uniting the People of the Eagle and the Condor
- North and South America - starting coming together in the
summer of 2000. Aspen eco pioneers Michael and Christine Morehart,
who have a ranch on the Argentine Pampas, had given Chaffee
a Condor feather, which she pulled out just as an eagle flew
over their Navajo ceremony. The Moreharts wanted to thank the
nature spirits along the Roaring Fork river, as they were leaving,
for 10 blissful years on the land. See “Bridges to Argentina”
for more details to follow.)
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