News: Native American Interest

COLUMN: To the sultry strains of Carlos Santana / Rob Thomas, stunning Naomi Lang (Karuk Tribe), 2002 Utah Olympic ice dancing star, melts the "Latin On Ice" Special on the Style Network Friday, Jan. 12th at 5pm ET and on Sunday, Jan. 14th at 10am ET.

SEDONA, Ariz. -- On the 10th Anniversary of Native Voices Foundation, the board held an election and celebrated some "phenomenal" progress for Indian youth. As newly elected Co-Chairman, Gary Lake (Shasta Vice Chair) said, "A single tribe cannot get their youth to the Olympics, but together we can." "Thanks to key leaders of Indian Country uniting behind the Indian Olympic Bid, these dreams for their youth are within their grasp," according to re-elected Co-Chair, Suzy Chaffee, an Olympic skier.

STOWE, Vt. -- A blanket of snow turned Vermont's Green Mountains white as Billy Kidd, the first American male to win an Olympic (silver) Medal in Alpine Ski Racing, was inducted into the Vermont Ski Hall of Fame at the Snowflake Lodge in his hometown of Stowe on Sunday. "Though not fully proven, it took the fearlessness of his Abenaki Indian and Pirate (Captain William Kidd) blood to break the glass ceiling," said fellow Olympian Suzy Chaffee, co-chair of Native Voices Foundation (NVF).

DENVER, CO -- Colorado's North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) ended with a strong magical feeling of being 'a feeder to the 2008 China Olympics. That was the hope of Joe Garcia, President of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI and San Juan Pueblo Governor/runner), whose Team New Mexico brought home the (ultimate) John Fletcher Spirit Award, said Olympic Skier Suzy Chaffee, co-chair of Native Voices Foundation (NVF).

MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- Vanbar Productions, a Minneapolis-based documentary production company, has won a 2005/2006 Telly Award, one of the electronic media's most prestigious, for outstanding production achievement for its production of "American Indian Homelands: Matters Of Truth, Honor And Dignity - Immemorial."