Page 13
April 1992
American Indian runners to represent USA
Smoke Signals
Santa Fe, NM-On Saturday, March 21,
1992, the world's greatest runners will
compete at the 20th Annual LAAF.
World Cross Country Championships
in Boston. For the first time ever, two
American Indian runners will be on the
USA teams: Wings of America senior
runner Milfred Tewawina, Hopi and
Wings' junior runner Shane Garcia,
Acoma. Each qualified for the USA
national teams at the The Athletic
Congress USA Cross-Country trials
held in Memphis, Tennessee on
February 9.
Tewawina, 27, from Tuba City,
Arizona, placed seventh in the top eight
qualifiers for the USA Senior Men's
team, with a time of 36.23 in the 12k
competition.
Garcia, 19, a freshman at North
Carolina State University in Raleigh,
North Carolina, qualified for the six
member USA Junior Men's Team, with
a time of 25:59 in the 8k race, only 3
seconds short of the number one junior
runner, Jason Casiano, from Madison,
Wis.
"This is really an exciting moment for
Wings of America," according to Will
Channing, Wings' founder and Direc
tor. "It's the third time we've sent our
Indian runners to the national qualify
ing race, and to have two of them
qualify for the national team is out
standing. This will set a precedence for
other Wings' runners and all young
Indian runners, and inspire and moti
vate them, and give them the confi
dence to compete nationally."
Wings of America, an all-Indian
youth development project of The
Earth Circle Foundation, uses running
as a vehicle for encouraging self-esteem
and pride among Native American men
and women. It was originally founded
as Wings of the Southwest in 1988 by
Channing, a Santa Fe, New Mexico
gallery owner. Now there are six
regional Wings' teams.
Once a year each Wings region sends
a team of runners to compete in the
national Cross-country Championships
in November. From 1988-1990, the
Wings of Southwest Junior Men's Team
had been the undefeated national
champions. In 1991 they were nipped by
the Dartmouth college Junior Varsity
Squad. The Wings of the Southwest
Junior Women's team, however,
captured the national title in 1991.
"Running is a natural activity for
Indian people," continues Channing.
"Unfortunately, they haven't had the
same opportunities that other ethnic
groups have had in competitive sports.
They are excellent runners, and Wings
hopes to give them the opportunities to
cultivate their innate talent and com
pete in a national and international
leveL"
"We have several Olympic hopefuls
this year, and you might even see one of
them at the Olympics this summer in
Barcelona, Spain. The last Indian
Olympian was Billy Mills, who won a
gold medal in 1964. There's no reason
why Native Americans can't be out
there competing for the gold in every
Olympics," Channing said. "They just
need support and our goal is to find
and provide that support. To have these
two excellent runners qualify for an
international event sets the stage, both
for themselves, and for other Indian
runners. It's an incredible confidence
builder for everyone, including their
families and communities."
Tewawina, who is following in the
footsteps of his ancestral clansman,
Louis Tewanima, who won a silver
medal in the 10k at the Stockholm
Olympics in 1912, offered these
comments about the race:
"I'm ecstatic. I can't put it into words
or explain it. After the race I didn't
realize what I had done. It didn't hit me
until I got home, that I was going to
represent the United States. Making
this team shows that Indian runners are
coming around again and that they can
do it too, with hard work."
On his performance at the race,
Garcia said, "I worked so hard. This is
such an accomplishment to make the
USA team. My coach suggested I had a
good chance, but I'm humble. I don't
predict anything. I always focus on the
outcome and hope I do my best."
Garcia's advice to other Indian
runners: "First of all, education is
important; it will take you a long way.
So is your God-gifted ability to run, but
you can't always look to running.
You're always one step away from
injury. When you get your diploma, you
have something to fall back on. Study
hard and keep your aspirations high.
And, believe in yourself. If you do, you
can do anything."
Tewawina is training for an Olympic
qualifying time in the 10,000 meters.
Other Wing's Olympic hopefuls
include: Maurice Smith, Navajo, in the
mile, and Donny Belcourt, Chippewa
Cree, in the 5000 meters. Both Belcourt
and Smith have already qualified for
the Olympic trials to be held in June in
New Orleans.
CONGRATULATIONS... to Brandon Robertson, Joe Mercier,
Brad and Brent Leno for placing in the USA State Wrestling
Tournament on February 21, 1992.
Joe Mercier -First place
" j Brandon Robertson - Fifth place
1 Brad Leno - First place
Brent Leno - First place
Indian Olympic UNION organized last June
It is a scene far off if the dreamy
distance, but the images burn bright,
like the Olympic Flame itself.
The dream takes us to Atlanta in 1996,
and the opening ceremonies for the
Summer Olympic Games. Athletes from
nation after nation parade into the
stadium, and suddenly, a group of
Americn Indian athletes enter. They
walk with pride. Their own team. Their
own flag. Their own nation.
Matt Spencer, a 35-year-old white
man living near Boston, would like to
make that dream a reality. Last June,
Spencer created an organization called
UNION. It stands for Unite Now Indian
Olympic Nation, and it is a movement
Spencer says could become the most
significant accomplishment for Ameri
can Indians in this century.
"The idea of UNION has tremendous
potential in two critical areas," Spencer
said. "A symbolic Olympic nation would
be a great inspiration to many American
Indians. And second, the Olympics is
the ultimate media event to wake up the
world to the issues that deeply affect
American Indians.
Spencer is a former sports writer who
has been involved in a variety of writing
projects and sports promotions that he
calls "a collage of small triumphs and
amusing failures." But with UNION he
sees a deeper purpose, and is driven to
reach this quest.
Tribal member
Kathy Cawley won
$75.00 from the For
estry department on
February 14, 1992,
after her name was ,
drawn from all of the , ,
Resource Manage
ment Questionnaires
that were turned in.
Daughters Nicole and .
Jessica Cawley are ;t
happy to help accept
the check. On behalf ;
of the Forestry De
partment, ,rniank you, rj
to those who partici- ':'
pated in the Resource
Management Questionnaire."
-Left to Right: Connie Monson,
, Kathy Cawley, Nicole Cawley, and
Jessica Cawley.