Dateline: Fri, 11 Mar 2005
freeNewsArticles Story Summary: “BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. /Send2Press Newswire/ — ‘All We Need Is a Miracle’ played on the Snow Summit Lodge’s loudspeaker when Bennie LeBeau (local Serrano-Eastern Shoshone), arrived for his ski lesson gift over the weekend. ‘He was treated like a homecoming hero for leading the Big Bear Medicine Wheel Ceremony on November 15th, 2004, which helped restore the magnificent lake, trees, springs, and best snow in 35 years,’ reported Olympic skier, Suzy Chaffee, co-chair of Native Voices Foundation (NVF).”
A R T I C L E:
BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. /Send2Press Newswire/ — “All We Need Is a Miracle” played on the Snow Summit Lodge’s loudspeaker when Bennie LeBeau (local Serrano-Eastern Shoshone), arrived for his ski lesson gift over the weekend. “He was treated like a homecoming hero for leading the Big Bear Medicine Wheel Ceremony on November 15th, 2004, which helped restore the magnificent lake, trees, springs, and best snow in 35 years,” reported Olympic skier, Suzy Chaffee, co-chair of Native Voices Foundation (NVF).
Caption: Olympic Skier Suzy Chaffee giving San Bernardino Mountains’ Snow Hero, Bennie LeBeau (E. Shoshone), the gift of skiing, with the Big Bear community at Snow Summit. – Photo credit: Dean Kako, Snow Summit Ski School
Together the Big Bear community and Chaffee wanted to give back some of the joy that Bennie helped inspire this season. NVF had arranged for the skiers at December’s Ski Dazzle Show to honor and learn more about some of Bennie’s team of 100 from the Red, White, Black and Yellow Nations who prayed on the nine sacred sites surrounding the San Bernardinos. Together they reactivated the ley lines (electro-magnetic energy lines) and rebalanced the weather. (See www.nativevoices.org and teton-rainbows.com.)
But before the lesson Blue Thunder (LeBeau) invited Chaffee to join him in a gratitude ceremony for the return of harmony to the Bear Mountains. It was also a healing and blessing of the four elements: the earth, wind, fire (electromagnetic stones and soil) and snow/water kingdoms, and for any disturbances in cutting the trails, blasting rock, construction… He also led a clearing of negativity (accidents…) left while gliding down Mother Earth’s slopes, which has been a great source of joy, harmony and health to people of all cultures, similar to how the “Grass Dancers” first cleared any dark energy or spirits before setting up camp… LeBeau then humbly asked permission to ski on the mountain that day, ending with a protection prayer for all, including himself.
Having a “friend” leave him on top of the mountain on his first and last ski day 20 years ago, LeBeau was a little nervous. But with the support of Chaffee (back from teaching Europe’s progenies at French Princess Caroline Murat’s Ski & Music Festival) and Ski School Director Wally Weber (did snowdances as a child) donating the tickets, gear, and instructor, LeBeau surprised everyone. After Chaffee put LeBeau through the basics, instructor Dean Kako tuned him up for the chairlift, fueled by sharing his belief in Dr. Emoto, a fellow Japanese on the NY Times Best Seller List for his book, “Messages from Water” (hado.net).
Emoto’s tests verify the snow and rain blessings the Indian Nations have been miraculously sharing in: California, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Washington, North/South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Nevada and Canada. As a result, Bear Mt Resorts are two of the 100 ski communities wanting to invite their Indian youth back to their ancestral lands to ski, snowboard and share their earth-honoring ceremonies. Given the scope of the Big Bear phenomena, and Bennie’s ability to explain this ancient sacred geometry, many are looking at the Big Bear Community as a prototype for how we can all help our mountains rebirth their web of life.
Within two hours, Blue Thunder flashed a lightening smile as he carved beautiful linked “pizza pie” turns with Dean, ending with a double ski ballet (holding hands) with World Champion snowdancer, Suzy Chapstick. “Now I understand why skiing and boarding are the No.1 motivator for Indian youth – kids find alcohol, drugs and gangs boring by comparison, including exciting opportunities – jobs and leading this reconnection to Mother Earth,” said LeBeau. “Our Vance Valdez (Cherokee) has a magical way with kids and does the most to make our Little Bear Ski School the most profitable division, along with Anita Webber (Navajo stockholder) who has an irresistible fun way of transforming the most challenging students,” said Weber.
Next day, Steve Fengler, Director of Bear Mountain’s Ski School and Todd Churchill (Cherokee), a supervisor of their Little Bear Camp, took Chaffee down the ultimate wild ride, “Geronimo,” followed by getting some air with Brent Tregaskis, their GM. On the chairlifts Chaffee shared Blue Thunder’s message: “that the community seriously needs to continue the healing ceremonies to be able to maintain this lifesaving precipitation.” Chaffee applauded Chris Riddle, Snow Summit’s marketing manager, on his leadership in wanting to welcome back tribal youth for this win-win. Even the staff of Dick Kun, owner of Bear Mtn. Resorts, was aware that in Hawaii nearly everyone invites a Kahuna do a blessing before cutting into Mother Earth.
Other community support for Bennie’s ski gift came from the Star Gazers Inn & Observatory – of “KCAL’s Nine on the Town TV Show” fame last week. Innkeeper, Doreen Wiggins hosted LeBeau and Chaffee, who quipped in amazement, “I bet this is the best B & B in the Galaxy!” She then stayed on to help welcome the Special Olympians at their touching Opening Ceremonies at Bear Mtn. “What a big-hearted community,” proclaimed Chaffee, who is planning to start bringing the dancers honored at Ski Dazzle – the tiny totts and some of California’s First Caretakers – to enjoy some wonderful spring skiing.
Members of the community wanting to support this best hope for the future of skiing, please call Suzy at: 970-404-0687. NVF is a 501(c)3, tax exempt partnership of U.S. Tribal leaders and Olympians, whose mission is to “create joyful unity through sports to help educate and heal Mother Earth for all our children.” Thanks to the support US ski areas and European leaders, led by the Princess, Native youth may have a chance to compete as Sovereign Nations in future Olympics, including the newly formed Native American Ski Team.
Services for this news release were donated by Send2Press(tm), a unit of Neotrope(R).
More information: www.nativevoices.org
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Copyright © 2005 by Native Voices Foundation (NVF) and Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope® – all rights reserved. Information believed accurate but not guaranteed. Sourced on: freeNewsArticles.com.
• Story Title: Snow Hero of San Bernardinos Gifted With Joy of Skiing
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