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NATIVE VOICES FOUNDATION GOALS 2000-2001

 Goals of NVF

  1. Assist ski resorts who want to be a part of the national reconciliation through our website, phone, some travel and press to educate and connect the biggest hearted leaders of ski resorts and tribes. 

    Background: Olympians are also invited to be spokespersons or simply make an appearance at the historic event in their state. You could also teach or ski with the Natives kids and help identify talent (racers, freestyle, snowboarders) for NVF's Olympic film or Olympic hopefuls be developed by the Native American Sports Council of USOC. Thanks to the leadership of Steamboat and Bjorn Dahl, former president of Kirkwood, who has a rapport with Michael Barry, it is possible that all American Ski areas may participate in this historic healing gesture. Dahl (a Masters racer and 8th generation Norwegian forester) is now a Western regional forester (Colorado, Utah, South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming) with a mandate for ski areas to be more inclusive of Native Americans on public lands. He thinks this is an ideal way to create a dialogue and positive bridge between the cultures, while better preserving the lands.

    Like the Aborigine Reconciliation highlighted by NBC at the Sidney Olympics, Europeans and Asians (who consider themselves cousins of the First Americans), will be overjoyed seeing these healing celebrations aired in a documentary during the Games, called "The Red Road to the Olympics." With Native Americans being the "No 1 draw" according to the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, this will do wonders to boost tourism at ski areas for years to come. We skiers can also take pride that we are the first sport to come up with an "Environmental Charter for sustainability of our lands " thanks to a partnership between NSAA and the EPA.

  2. Sports have created major breakthroughs in America for Women and Blacks. This is that moment for American Indians. Our 3 minute "Mountain Spirit Celebration" film (to air during the Olympics) brings the sacredness of Mt Olympus and Nature back to the Modern Games. Native Americans will be included as awesome skiers and snowboarders. Background: Since there are no Native Americans competing at Salt Lake, the film can create a similar winning formula at Salt Lake that lifted the Aborigines at Sidney. "After torch lighter Kathy Freeman won the Gold she became a hero to a new generation of Australian children," said

    Aussi radio director Steve Price. "Six months later the consciousness has changed so much that if the Prime Minister doesn't do something big for the Aborigines, they'll roll him over." The film will give Ross Anderson and others a chance to be heroes to a new generation of Americans.

    We've found 20 other amazing athletes: two cliff jumpers, a mogul skier who can do an iron cross (cross skis) flip in the moguls, and boarders who can do 40 foot helis. We also have several magnificent women skiers like: World Champion Ute ballet skier Jan Bucher, current Miss Indian World, and Miss Navajo Nation, who is finishing her doctorate in environmental engineering at Stanford. Stew Young, a Tulilup, will not only do a back layout off a cliff, transforming from an eagle in the film, but as a professor of Videography at Oregon State, he's part of our bi-cultural production team that will be shooting this summer and early winter.

    Everyone, especially the performers, has been excited about this historic opportunity to have Native youth shine as athletes in the Winter Olympics. Said Rick Chaffee, who raised Suzy's consciousness with the "World Watch" course he taught, said, "Your film would help Salt Lake stand on the shoulders of Lillyhammer."

    The Native American Sports Council of the USOC has never been able to afford to develop a Winter Olympian or program. That's why Director Mo Smith endorses our film and grass roots programs. (Only one Native, a Navajo woman runner, competed in the Sidney Games.) "NVF could help inspire and create a generation of winter and summer Olympians," 

  3. Funding to continue shooting the "Red Road to the Olympics," a documentary of about our Native Ski/Healing Celebrations, the Presidential Summit, and the making of the ski film. This human interest would be perfect for airing during the Games, much like the NBC Aborigine pieces.

    We already have 30 hours of video on the touching Colorado pioneering events, called "Return to the Shining Mountains," that could be edited to air this summer - important for the education process. 5. Native American Sports Awards to honor Saviors of Mother Earth - during the Olympics - NVF is lobbying for the production of a globally televised awards ceremony. The purpose is to honor the First Americans for the 4 Olympic sports they invented, along with saluting their Sports Legends. For example, Louis Sokalexis, a Maine Penobscot, first broke the color barrier in 1897. 

    Indian leaders could give unprecedented credibility and visibility to those who have done the most to preserve our planet - by co-hosting the event with the National Forest Service to honor the Saviors of Mother Earth - many are Heads of State. Mikhail Gorbachev, who founded the Green Cross and UN's Earth Charter, was the first world leader to honor Native Americans at St Petersburg's Goodwill Games in '92. Other Earth movers and shakers include: Prince Charles for organic faming, Prince Albert and Bobby Kennedy Jr. for protecting the waterways, the King of Sweden, whose father honored Jim Thorpe as the "Greatest Athlete in the first half of the Century," for alternative energy leadership and Michael Barry and NSAA for their pioneering eco leadership as a sport.