Ellen Bradley, a professional skier and instructor, was on a trip to Eaglecrest last year. It was her first time skiing in Alaska Native homelands.
She said that spending time on the land can help with so many aspects of a person’s lives. “But I believe mental health is especially important — to move your body with land span>
Bradley hosted Friday’s Native Youth Snow Sports Community Night at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall, Juneau. There were prizes like a Lingit artist James Johnson’s formline snowboard, as well as live music from Ya Tseen, a Southeast Alaska favorite. This event is part of a larger effort to eliminate some of the obstacles that Alaska Native youth face when they want to ski.
Bradley, who is Lingit and learned to ski from her father in Washington State as a youngster. Although she says that it helped her feel connected with the land, she doesn’t recall seeing any Indigenous peoples on the slopes as a child.
She said that she had her brother and my dad and that everyone with whom I skied was white.
She believes the sport can be considered a taboo subject, even for Indigenous people living on the land where the ski mountains are located. She hopes to see a change in the Douglas Indian Association’s youth ski trips to Eaglecrest.
Benson Bullock, DIA, was there to help sign up kids for the trips. He said they began last spring.
Bullock stated that his supervisor suggested that he find a way to take children up to Eaglecrest in March or April to get them lessons and gear and just get them out on the mountain.
He wants to see more children on the mountain this year. Although the dates have not yet been set, the first trip will take place in January. Another trip is planned for March.
Bradley believes that getting kids on skis can lead to more Indigenous people working in the skiing industry.
They can then become professional skiers and instructors. Bradley stated that they will eventually be the Eaglecrest managers and make the decisions about where skiing takes place.
Bradley could consider Ryland Tompkins as one of his future pros. Although he hasn’t yet mastered ski or snowboarding, his uncle Joe Tompkins is a Paralympic ski champion.
Ryland stated that he also wants to learn.
Bradley hopes that snow sports will be more popular among Indigenous children.
span style=”font weight: 400 ;”>” I believe that the future of skiing is Indigenous in Alaska,” she stated.
