I just couldn't decide where to put this; could've been posted in several threads. Katie Couric, Jay Leno, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bennie Le Beau...oh my! This would be downright funny if it weren't so astonishingly cruel with its brazen and shameless exploitation of little ones tugging at heartstrings...and purse-strings...
How very John Wayne -
raindancing. Indians praying for bad weather. And how very 21st-century - the concept of harnessing indigenous ritual for economic relief and benefit for the billion-dollar ski industry and to secure the wealthy elite's recreation and resort investment properties. The Great Spirit sends snow. Yikes.
I've not been able to find anything about a Cherokee "award-winning filmmaker" named David Bruce. Does anyone know?
There exists no "partnership between U.S. Tribal leaders and Olympians" through this organization or any other; there is, however, a great deal of unsupported name-dropping and fabrication. There is no verification that NVF was as "chosen to spearhead the President's Healthier US Initiative in the Great Outdoors", nor is the quote by President Bush able to be confirmed: "on behalf of the "underserved, heroic Native American population."
PRESS RELEASE
Of interest to editors and journalists covering:
Entertainment/TV Personalities, Native Americans, Snow Sports, CO News
Tribes Share Wisdom To Prevent Natural Disasters
ASPEN, CO - January 7, 2004 /Send2Press Newswire/ -- As a result of a heart-melting gift to her friends, of an Indian children's dance to launch a wiser New Year, Denise Rich, Aspen's Grammy award-winning philanthropist, is helping the tribes get their message out to the mainstream on how to heal the Earth and prevent natural disasters, in the wake of the devastating Tsunami. NBC Today Show Host, Katie Couric, and Wendy Whitworth, executive producer of the Larry King Show, and their children were among the guests uplifted by Denver's 7 Falls Dancers. The star was two year old Penelope Rodriquez, formerly known as "Sometimes She Dances, Sometimes She Doesn't," fresh from a command performance for the Lieutenant Governors of America. The co-hosts/producers, UN Eco winner, Joanie Klar, and Olympic skier Suzy Chaffee, co-chair of Native Voices Foundation (NVF), then shared about the snow and rain miracles..., which an unprecedented partnership between the ski areas and tribes has been experiencing in the West, according to NVF.
*(Photo:
http://www.Send2Press.com/mediadrome/nvoices1_72dpi.jpg)
*Photo Caption: (Group shot) Katie Couric, NBC's Today Show host, and her children celebrating New Years in Aspen with Denver's "7 Falls Dancers" at the T-Lazy 7 Ranch. L-R Co-hosts, UN Eco Award winner Joanie Klar and Olympian Suzy Chaffee. Photo credit: Michael Fuller (Arapaho).
The tots, along with their enlightening storyteller, Grandma Carrie Howell and mom Michelle (Pawnee), were treated like heroes, having participated with the Utes in the snowdance ceremony at Denver's SnowSports Expo in November. "Looks like Creator listens intently to the little ones," said Chaffee, in praising them and Creator for helping make Aspen and other Colorado holiday skiers so happy with economic lifting early snow for the last two years. That inspired over 100 U.S. ski areas to want to welcome their local tribes back to share $2 million worth of ski and snowboard opportunities this season, and priceless in sustainable wisdom, snow and rain blessings... Meanwhile Wyoming is considering spending $8.5 on toxic cloud seeding, even though scientists at the National Academy of Sciences in 2003, concluded there is no scientific evidence that it works. A January 2004 Skiing Magazine article said that cloud seed was "more prayer-based than science," and called NVF tribal way a positive alternative.
Rich had sponsored NVF's events at the Salt Lake Olympics that helped give US Tribal leaders a mainstream voice. Three years later, the skiers and "snow farmers" (ski resorts) are now leading America and the world in opening their hearts and minds to the Indigenous way of finding natural solutions to weather, as well as prevention of natural disasters. The wake up call was inspired by the early snow phenomena that this year spread from the Rockies, to Mammoth, New Mexico, Lake Tahoe and Southern California, related to NVF's tribal snow ceremonies at the Denver, Seattle, Sacramento, and LA ski shows, plus independent ceremonies.
Chaffee and Klar, President of Integrative Sustainable Solutions, shared with the VIP's about November's miracle in Southern California - the Big Bear Medicine Wheel Ceremony, where 200 Red, White, Black and Yellow People prayed at the sacred points surrounding the San Bernardino Mountains, led by Eastern Shoshone Bennie E. LeBeau of Wyoming. It gave skiers the best snow in 35 years, and prompted NBC weatherman Fritz Coleman to publicly thank the tribes. And by reconnecting Mother Earth's energy (like acupressure) points, called "ley lines," they are helping restore the springs of their fire-devastated forests. Said Jay Leno of the likely related seven days of downpour this week, "This rain is going to delay brushfire season!"
LeBeau, whose Indian name is Blue Thunder, also said that "the earthquake that caused the Tsunami, reset Earth's ley lines to be on a more true North and South axis. On the positive side, this reharmonizing of how the sacred sites connect, affects the weather, bringing moisture to help repair and restore Mother Earth's hurting environments. The trees, animals, plants, and other life forms are getting powerful blessings, though sometimes at the expense or inconvenience of Man, especially in drought ridden areas in the America's that are getting major amounts of rain and snow. The traditional Elder was also involved in helping prevent a volcanic eruption in the Grand Tetons on May 8, 2004, called the Magnificent 19 + 1 = 20 Medicine Wheel Ceremony, which also helped end droughts in many of the encompassing states. (
http://www.teton-rainbows.com/) Next he has been guided "to help educate cultures about the ceremonies at sacred sites that can reweave the fault lines of California," if he can get support.
"We are working on putting together an emergency meeting between ski areas leaders and eco advisors to Governor Schwarzenegger, with LeBeau and Southern Ute Eddie Box Jr., who led the most significant weather ceremonies," said Chaffee. "Given the lives lost by the Tsunami, we must explore our natural, cost-effective options," said Klar, who hopes to film these discussions in a documentary for the public with her award winning filmmaker husband David Bruce, a Cherokee. Couric, Whitworth, and a producer of the Bill Maher Show are among media movers and shakers interested in helping get this vital message out.
Meanwhile to fulfill the wishes of the little snow dancers and help inspire more snow, the guests of Denise and T-Lazy 7 Ranch, teamed up with Aspen SkiCo, Swiss Olympian Stefan Kaelin and the St Regis on rental equipment, and Klar and Chaffee for the coaching, to give the fancy footers a wonderful ski experience the next day. "Thank you Denise and Aspen," chimed the smiling Penelope, Mikah and Lexi to the press.
*(Photo:
http://www.Send2Press.com/mediadrome/nvoices2_72dpi.jpg)
*Photo Caption: (close-up of Penelope) Two year old Penelope Rodriguez (Pawnee) of Denver's "7 Falls Dancers," melts hearts at Denise Rich's old fashion launch of Aspen's New Year. Photo credit: Jeffrey Finesilver
Native Voices Foundation, a Colorado non-profit 501C3, is a partnership between U.S. Tribal leaders and Olympians "to create joyful unity through sports to help heal Mother Earth for all our children." It was chosen to spearhead the President's Healthier US Initiative in the Great Outdoors on behalf of the "underserved, heroic Native American population." (President Bush)
