In a recent op-ed, Suzy Chaffee, 1968 ski racing Olympian and co-founder of the Native American Olympic Team Foundation, suggests holistic approaches to reduce gun violence

What if we had the power to reduce the roots of violence by 50% – including one in three women raped world-wide – through a simple diet shift and planting fruit trees in schools? Thanks to UN’s One Billion Rising, women joined with enlightened men, world leaders and stars, like Ann Hathaway and Jane Fonda, together joyfully stood up for females as never before, creating and enforcing laws, sharing solutions, and dancing into a New Era this Valentine’s Day.

People around the world have recently mourned the passing of Whitney, Amy Winehouse, and First Lady Betty Ford, exemplified by the touching New Years Tributes and Grammy Salute to Whitney. With the help of doctors Drew, Phil and Gupte these (celestial) shooting stars left us with priceless lessons to prevent or recover from alcoholism. And I believe they are happy to see that their passing is uncovering solutions that could save millions of children and their families from heartache

Some good must come of this,” has been the cry after one of the worst mass killings in U.S. history at Newtown’s Sandy Hook Elementary School. Little has been done after a decade of school massacres. “We have 15 times more gun violence than any other country, and we must learn from them,” said CNN’s Fareed Zakaria. Therefore, I believe we need a holistic approach that includes the best solutions from other countries

From Antarctica to Iran to New Zealand, Billy Kidd has literally skied the world. Since 1970, the Olympic silver medalist and world champion racer has not only been Steamboat’s director of skiing, he has been America’s premier spokesman on behalf of his sport. With his vast experience, he is uniquely positioned to consider what the next 50 years of skiing might bring.

The World’s Youth say we need emergency action to create a “Future We Want.” Hurricane Sandy helped the doubting Toms recognize that the greatest threat to our National Security and humanity is Climate Change. And leaders now believe that frustrated young people are not kidding when they say they want Climate Justice!

PHOTO CAPTION: (L) 12 year old Xiuh (Shoe) Martinez, (center in white shirt/yellow shovel), and his Earth Guardian Kids demonstrating in Boulder how to reforest Colorado after its wildfire and save a billion trees worldwide. Photos: Tamara Rose Roske.

Lisa Montoya: RIO+20 Earth Summit’s media “phenom,” Boulder’s Xiuh (Shoe) Martinez at October’s Denver Climate Change rally praising President Obama for his renewable energy policies that create the future the youth want, including snowsports.

October’s launch of the UN’s Girl Empowerment Initiative, and revelation that three Native American women represented the U.S. and their Indian Nations at London’s Olympics, are creating ripples of hope and prosperity for depressed Nations in the U.S. and around the world.

PHOTO Caption: “I will always love this team,” said “phenom” goalie (far right) Tumua Anae (Native Hawaiian) of her Gold Medal U.S. Olympic Water Polo Team in London. Credit: Jeff Cable.

Olympic skier Suzy “Chapstick” Chaffee, who led the 1977 Title IX March in DC at the request of the PE Teachers of America, celebrating this team effort with her Olympic mom Stevia. Photos courtesy Naotf.org.

On my dream trip to Crete after honoring the Greeks for the “Best Olympics Ever,” and the World Tribes for their gifts to the roots of Olympic sports (www.nativevoices.org), I visited the ruins of the Minoan Palace of Knossos. Often depicted by their bull-leaping gymnasts, the Minoans were the heavy-weight champions of the most advanced, joyful, male-female balanced, peaceful ancient civilizations. Then visiting Iraklion’s Archeological Museum, I saw the official Greek Olympic Exhibit that held a missing piece of the Olympic origin puzzle, off the press radar screen.

Some remarkable breakthroughs just happened to protect the Arctic Circle, its wildlife, and earth-honoring way of life of tens of millions of Arctic Aboriginals of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia who have subsisted by fishing and hunting for eons. / photo credit: © Quackersna… | Dreamstime.

The magnificent pristine fragile Arctic is now in a battle for its LIFE, which will affect all life on Earth, especially the youth. On one side of the Arctic Ring are the super rich oil companies whose track record has proved “beyond a doubt” that their only concern is profits and they are now in manic oil rush fever mode. On the other side, is the way of life of four million Inupiat or Eskimo Peoples who have lived in harmony with Nature for eons, backed by heroic environmentalists, a million earth citizens, and 100 stars. It was launched by Robert Redford, owner of Sundance Ski Area, and Green Peace at the UN’s June’s RIO+20 Earth Summit since it is critical to a Sustainable World we all want.

wind turbine in Selawik – credit Reese HannemanPhoto Caption: U.S. Olympic Nordic star Lars Flora teaching some of the 650 Arctic youth the joy of cross-country skiing near a wind turbine in Selawik, north of the Arctic Circle. Credit: © Reese Hanneman.

We are in the home stretch of this pivotal 2012, where our actions each day can shift prophesies, including the power of gratitude to Mother Earth through the tribes. Here is a beautiful example: The Olympic Organizing Committees of the 2002 Utah Olympics, as well as 1960 Squaw Valley, asked our Native American tribal Elders to please lead their communities in snowdances, which restored snow to their Games so that athletes who have trained their whole lives could have their Olympic Dreams. Photo:Danielle Pelham (U.S. Chickasaw Tribe) winning the 2009 Taekwondo World Championships. Including her in the London Olympics could be a healing for humanity and help safeguard a phenomenal Games and their future.

The US Navy is deliberating right now on a plan to use high frequency underwater sound for testing in Hawaii and the coasts of California, the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico that is estimated to deafen more than 15,900 whales and dolphins and kill 1,800 more over the next 5 years. And the Navy knows that whales and dolphins depend on sound to navigate and live. These are the routes that whales travel from countless ports to the Arctic each year. Therefore a half a million Americans, especially Native American Elders who sent this to me, say “Stop this Genocide.”

Photographs of Olympic Stars of Yesteryear.

During February’s U.S. Super Bowl, the NFL hosted a “Kick Hunger Challenge” to assist food banks in every NFL city. That got many Americans like me inspired and asking, “Can we realistically kick hunger here?”

The buzz at the SnowSports Industries Show ending January 31 in Denver was about the Native American snowdance phenomena that restored snow to the Ski Meccas of Colorado, Utah and California in January. They also said, “we need more snowdances.” Some Native Elders who led them say that our giving Mother Earth gratitude for these snowblessings, whether large of small, and including Her in our hearts, especially on Valentine’s Day, can do wonders to inspire more snowfalls.

Three days of blue skies and balmy temperatures melted the offering—but not for long. Vail
reported six inches amid whiteout conditions Jan. 11. Another 10 inches arrived Monday. The
forecast this week projects more snow.

Given the amazing results of many Tribes of the Americas along with groups of diverse cultures performing New Year’s ceremonies to heal the oceans, it appears that our Earth Family has begun to fulfill the prophesy of what the tribes call “The Purification.” This unprecedented solidarity, inspired by the magnificent Azteca ceremonial dances in Puerto Vallarta (PV) Mexico, means Mother Earth won’t have to rebalance Herself so drastically, which spells a smoother ride for us around 2012! Tsunamis of gratitude to all those who sent prayers enhancing this ongoing global shift.

Vail’s Snowdance Miracle

Here are some mind-blowing latest numbers and scientific and spiritual breakthroughs and to help determine which energy sources are authentically cost-effective, clean, and safe, to wisely merit investing our hard earned billions. Both are landmark decisions since they take us down paths that affect tens of thousands of generations of children. Therefore it is a moral imperative to choose wisely.

On November 1, our Native American Olympic Team Foundation (NAOTF) submitted to the UN its recommendations, including wisdom of Indigenous Elders, for the 2012 Rio+20 Conference, June 21-22. This marks 20 years after the first UN Conference on Sustainable Development, and never in history has there been such a need to work in unity to restore Earth.

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