VAIL, Colo. /eNewsChannels/ — On Saturday, December 4, 2010, renowned Southern Ute/Navajo Elders, Eddie and Betty Box Jr. and their dancer/skiers launched UN’s International Mother Earth Day Ceremonies to open Vail’s Super G at Beaver Creek, and were blessed with a beautiful day so the races could resume, Native American Olympic Team Foundation announced.
After high winds postponed Friday’s downhill, Eddy and Betty led a “Blessing Ceremony for the Joy and Safety of the Athletes,” early Saturday, which worked. That afternoon the Boxes led a sacred “Gratitude Snowdance” in Minturn near Meloit Park, attracting over 100 regional students, sages.
“Vail then enjoyed 28 inches of powder with more on the way, so everyone is happy,” said Bindu Pomeroy, Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy’s teacher who orchestrated the ceremonies with our Native American Olympic Team Foundation (NAOTF).
“Vail’s snow was in appreciation to Grandfather (Creator) for the community making Mother Earth smile,” said Eddie.
More dreams came true when these world racing heroes and media witnessed, along with a rescued eagle, the winds transform into gentle breezes, plus snowblessings, to bring back to their communities. By suggesting leaders invite nearby Indigenous Elders (or our Native American Elders) to lead Earth-healing ceremonies, phenomenal things could happen.
A related miracle happened near Washington DC. “Following UN’s Maria Mercedes Sanchez also sending blessings in solidarity, on Saturday morning, skier Olivia Ellis, a gifted Elder guiding our Bolivian UN Ceremonial Initiative, joined me by phone in a blissful prayer ‘for the greater good of all at Vail,’ That afternoon, Virginia’s Wintergreen ski area next door to Olivia, was blanketed with rare early snow, showing Nature spirits are sensitive to those with gratitude for Mother Earth, wherever they are,” said Olympic skier, Suzy “Chapstick” Chaffee, NAOTF’s co-chair.
“A nice way to thank the Champions of Nature in Washington who get revitalized and inspired skiing here, which strengthens their environmental efforts,” said Dr. Ellis.
All this is from aligning with the UN goal of healing Mother Earth through our Elders’ solution, backed by their partner, the late 2007 Shared Nobel Peace Prizewinner, Dr. Stephen Schneider, plus three Nobel Laureates, Eric Chivian, Muhammad Yunus, and Joseph Stiglitz: “Rebalancing Nature’s cycles in practical and spiritual ways through these cross-cultural ceremonies, is key to reconnecting with Mother Earth’s heart and restoring Eden.”
“Mother Earth – our only home – is under pressure,” says United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
“It is time to listen to the voices of Indigenous people,” said UN General Assembly President Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann.
Hail to the Bolivian Mission, their co-sponsors, and General Assembly, for brilliantly designating April 22 as U.N.’s International Mother Earth Day.
“Vail’s snowdances have spread across North America thanks to visionary ski areas sharing joyful uplifting snow sports with nearby tribal youth,” said Sanchez. “Global communities inviting their Elders to lead mountain blessings and snowdances, as well as ocean ceremonies, can inspire everyone to live in more harmony with Nature, as we are interrelated and therefore so is our health. We must and can help restore our suffering Mother Earth leading up to Her Day,” said UN Bolivian Ambassador Loayza.
Elders say these ceremonies “purify the mountains from toxic cloud residues, temporarily rebalancing Nature’s snow and rain cycles, but must shift to clean renewable energy and all-natural products NOW, to also restore our dying oceans.”
Eddie Jr’s father, “Red Ute,” of Southern Ute’s Tribal Council, is beloved for leading the first snowdance, which saved Vail’s opening in 1963 (CBS Huntley-Brinkley Report and .
“‘Blessing the Athletes’ started at Telluride’s 1999 World Snowboard Championships, where participants chanted Ute Mtn. Ute Tony Tallbird’s name. Following the Georgian luger’s death at Vancouver, Lil’wat and Squamish Elders led a ceremony for the safety and joy of Olympians on their ancestral Whistler, which transformed foggy rain into ‘bluebird days!'” said Chaffee.
Europe and Japan wisely banned 35 and 49 toxins, respectively, to protect their bodies, water, air and glaciers. America only five, so insist your representatives support “2010’s SAFE CHEMICALS ACT (S 3209),” by 86-year-old skier/cancer-survivor, Senator Frank Lautenberg, to protect American children, including son Josh, Vail Powder Figure 8 Champ.
Eddie praises Vail’s bike program and “Ever Green” development incorporating geothermal walkways, green roofs, and micro-turbines in Gore Creek for lighting.
“The Boxes inaugurated a curriculum at Vail Academy on Friday,” said headmaster Geoff Grimmer proudly. “Betty urged them to ‘Talk to and hug trees, express anger, cry and listen, to let hurts go so we don’t pass them on.'”
That’s what can happen giving love and respect to Mother Earth. More info on http://snow-riders.org and http://naotf.org .
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