Natives criticize Redskins golf tournament

Supporting Derogatory Depictions Not an Option for NIGA

By Ernest L. Stevens, Jr.The National Indian Gaming Association has a long-standing history of opposition to ethnically damaging mascots. We have signed on in partnership with tribes, organizations and associations who represent the interests of Indian people who are and will always be against stereotypical sports imagery. Further, we have partnered with national Civil Rights organizations who have joined Indian country in opposing culturally harmful caricatures.

Our mission is to uphold sovereignty and increase the self-reliance of our Native people. We are an organization of 184 member tribes entrusted to ensure there is a strong tribal presence here in Washington, D. C. to protect the Indian Gaming Industry. We have a strong commitment to our tribes and will continue to do so.

This issue provides us with another opportunity to help educate America so that we can grow out of the negative stereotypes of the past. Being separate, diverse groups of people with beautiful cultural traditions and beliefs makes us unique and distinct from one another, in a very positive sense. It adds to the fabric of the creation, allowing honor and respect for all things. This is the kind of harmony and appreciation we need to strive for every day.

To ensure the integrity of our 30-year-old association and our tribal nations, we have pulled our sponsorship from this golf tournament, which has just recently announced a partnership with the newly created Washington football team's Original Americans Foundation. When we agreed to be a sponsor to benefit Native American College Scholarships and Youth there was no mention of the involvement of the Washington football team.In Redskins Golf Tournament, It Was the Navajo Who Got Played

By Jacqueline Keeler"I think it is unfortunate the Navajo Nation administration of Ben Shelly is so out of step with the Navajo people, particularly, the young people, regarding this issue. Obviously, offensive cultural appropriation done by non-Native fans of Native Mascots does not generally include Navajo culture. We do not see them performing Sand Paintings at half-time or dressed like Yeii, but we should understand that most Americans are unable to differentiate between tribes enough to understand that and that Navajo children, two-thirds of whom live off the reservation are subjected to these ignorant ideas about who they are as Native Americans.

"I am also alarmed at the underhanded way this event was handled. The other funders were unaware of the Washington Redsk*ns OAF involvement until the day before and Ben Shelley has repeatedly refused to comment on his meeting with Snyder. It feels like the Navajo people have been hoodwinked into supporting racism and have dragged other national American Indian organizations through the mud in the process. This fundraising to cover the use of a racist slur by a billionaire takes away from the fundraising efforts of legitimate American Indian foundations and takes needed money away from them. It is a travesty."Background

More on how the controversy unfolded:

Snyder's Redsk*ns Hush Money and KTNN's Questionable Behavior

By Nicholet DeschineSometimes you don’t realize the magnitude of an issue until it hits close to home. On Tuesday, April 8, 2014, I opened an email and to my disbelief I saw a flyer for the Washington Redsk*ns First Annual KTNN Celebrity Golf Tournament. The event was scheduled for April 12, 2014 at the Whirlwind Golf Club at the Wild Horse Pass Resort on the Gila River Indian Community. My hometown radio station’s fundraiser was being sponsored by Daniel Snyder’s Washington Redsk*ns Original Americans Foundation (OAF), an organization that believes it can meet the needs of Indian Country while mocking our identity and intelligence by using a racist team name to raise funds for our students.

Why would KTNN, “The Voice of the Navajo Nation,” accept a sponsorship from a controversial foundation whose name is a racial slur? Why is KTNN not following FCC broadcasting rules on the use of racial epithets? Why is the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President co-sponsoring an event with the Redsk*ns, even after legislation was introduced in the Navajo Nation Council opposing the NFL team’s moniker? How long has the sponsorship deal between KTNN, the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President, and the Redskins been in place? How aware were other donors of the fundraiser’s affiliation with the Redsk*ns foundation?

Adding to my disbelief was seeing known anti-Redsk*ns organizations co-sponsoring the event. The Washington Redsk*ns golf tournament was a fundraiser to benefit Native American college scholarships and was co-sponsored by Navajo Engineering Construction Authority, Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise, Navajo Nation Office of President and Vice President, National Indian Gaming Association, and Dixon Golf. Many other organizations such as the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, Diamondbacks, Arizona State University, and the Notah Begay III Foundation also donated silent auction items. An even more surprising co-sponsor of the event was the Navajo Nation’s Office of the President and Vice President. Shocking because the Navajo Nation Council was considering legislation opposing the Redsk*ns name, this was introduced on March 14, 2014 by Council Delegate Joshua Lavar Butler.

From a quick Internet search, I learned that although KTNN created a Facebook event on March 13 and marketed the event on March 21, they failed to mention the event’s title sponsor. In fact, the only mention of the OAF was on the event webpage and the flyer. Curious as to how aware sponsors and donors (especially those organizations who are anti-Redsk*ns) were made of the OAF’s involvement, I began notifying organizations. By Friday April 11, two donors, the National Indian Gaming Association and the Notah Begay III Foundation, withdrew their sponsorship of the event because of ties to the Redsk*ns name. Both organizations said they were unaware of the Redsk*ns’ involvement and would never have donated had they known. Likewise, on Saturday, April 12, the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise issued a statement indicating they would have declined sponsorship had they known of the Redsk*ns involvement, “We deeply regret not being told of the Washington Redsk*ns involvement in advance of today’s tournament.”

The actions of these three organizations could mean a few things: 1) The Washington Redsk*ns were a last-minute sponsor to strategically place themselves on the same event as Indian organizations who oppose the NFL team’s moniker, and/or 2) KTNN, aware of the Washington Redsk*ns sponsorship, lacked insight on the controversy and didn’t care to inform other donors. The event flyer I received was dated April 3, 2014 proving that, at minimum, KTNN had at least one week to notify other donors (this assumes the title sponsorship was accepted at a last moment which casts further unfavorable light on the Redskin’s attempt to purposefully taint the event). The actions and lack of action from KTNN’s leadership raises concern about the organization’s leadership, ability to recognize potential controversy, and their ability to actively communicate with their sponsors and, more importantly, with the public.Meanwhile, President Shelley doesn't like people showing him up:

Navajo Navajo President slams the National Indian Gaming Association

For more on the controversy, see Sponsors Quit Redskins Golf Tournament and Navajo Nation Condemns "Redskins" Name.

Sporsors quit Redskins golf tournament

Redskins foundation golf event loses sponsor in protest

By Brent SchrotenboerA major Native American organization has canceled its sponsorship of a charity golf tournament in Arizona on Saturday because it doesn't want to be associated with the event's title sponsor—the Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation.

The National Indian Gaming Association, a nonprofit that includes 184 Indian nations as members, made the decision to pull its sponsorship Friday after learning that the Redskins foundation was involved in the same event. Ernest Stevens, chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association, said his organization finds the NFL team's name to be offensive and is skeptical about the motives of the foundation recently started by Redskins owner Daniel Snyder.

"It's a blatant attempt to try to buy out the issue," Stevens told USA TODAY Sports.

The celebrity golf tournament in Chandler, Ariz., is to benefit Native American college students. Likewise, the stated mission of Snyder's foundation is to improve the lives of Native Americans. But some questioned whether Snyder started the foundation as a way to deflect criticism over his team's name.More developments came the following day:

Washington Redskins foundation loses another event sponsor

By Erik BradyThe Notah Begay III Foundation pulled its support from this weekend's Arizona golf tournament to benefit scholarships for Native American students when it learned the title sponsor was the Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation.

"I find it underhanded and despicable that the Washington football team would co-opt this event," Crystal Echo Hawk, NB3 foundation executive director, told USA TODAY Sports on Sunday. "As soon as we found out about their involvement we withdrew our support."

Begay, a four-time PGA Tour winner and an analyst with the Golf Channel, is Navajo, Isleta Pueblo and San Felipe Pueblo. He is a longtime critic of the Washington team name, which he called "a very clear example of institutionalized degradation" on ESPN last year.

Echo Hawk, who is Pawnee, said the NB3 Foundation was asked in February to donate silent auction items for a golf tournament to be held in Chandler, Ariz., this month; the foundation donated golf apparel.

When she found out Friday that Saturday's event was sponsored by the NFL team's foundation, she called the radio station that asked for the donation. Echo Hawk spoke to Tony Little, general manager of Arizona radio station KTNN, and demanded that NB3's name be removed from the event officially called the Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation (OAF) 1st Annual KTNN Celebrity Golf Tournament.

"The NB3 Foundation does not support the Redskins or its organization OAF," NB3 said in a statement. "We are adamantly opposed to the team's continued use of this derogatory name."Redskins Sponsorship Taints Navajo Golf Event, Other Sponsors Outraged

By Gale Courey ToensingThe National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA), the Notah Begay III Foundation (NB3), and the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise (NNGE) said they were approached by KTNN months ago to donate to the tournament to raise scholarship funds for Native college students, but they were not told of the Redskins OAF involvement and would not have participated if they had known about it.

The OAF’s involvement was discovered Friday on a flyer on KTNN’s website showing the OAF as the event’s primary sponsor and featuring NIGA, NB3 Foundation and the NNGE as other sponsors. NIGA and the NB3 Foundation immediately withdrew their participation and demanded that their names be removed from the publicity materials. The NB3 Foundation is a charitable organization that funds programs aimed at improving Native American health. NIGA is a non-profit organization that represents 184 tribal nations and advocates for Indian gaming in Washington and elsewhere, but it also provides scholarships for Native students through its own of Sovereignty Foundation and through donations to events like the golf tournament.

The event page on KTNN's website has been edited to reflect the lost sponsors.

“The Washington Redskins have found themselves an Indian,” NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. said, referring to OAF Executive director Gary L. Edwards (Cherokee), “and through this Indian they’re going to try to buy off Indian country and attempt to convince Indian country that something so racist and so horrible [as the Redskins name] is okay and good. Indian country is not for sale and all the scholarships in the world are not going to buy an allegiance to racism.”And:By late Friday, KTNN’s Facebook page was smoldering with comments from Navajo citizens objecting to the KTNN-OAF partnership.

“This is wrong. I urge a reversal of this decision. Give the money back. Accepting this disgusting symbolism dishonors all of our Native people who died as the hands of those who used the symbol and pursued policies and practices of extermination! Shame on KTNN!” Shabah Nez wrote.

“Boycott KTNN!” Winona Dawn wrote.

Comments soon began to disappear from the page, as Nicholet Deschine noted. “Two sponsors have already withdrawn support from this event when KTNN only had to decline one sponsor, the Redsk*ns. The act of adding the Redsk*ns on as a sponsor at the last moment (or hiding the info from other sponsors), the withdrawal of sponsors who do not want involvement with the Redsk*ns, KTNN deleting comments on the FB page, RAISES concern on the intent of KTNN and the Redsk*ns to USE the guise of raising scholarship funds to further the Redsk*ns own agenda.”Comment:  Wow. If we can believe the reports, some major-league deception took place.

So the Redskins foundation (OAF) was the title sponsor? With a bold headline and an entire panel on the flyer? And presumably a large amount of signage at the event itself?

And no one thought to mention that to the other participants? Despite Indian country's well-known sensitivity, to put it mildly, to the ethnic slur? No one thought to ask if they were cool with supporting the Washington Redskins First Annual Golf Tournament?!

Sounds like KTNN, the Navajo president's office, or whoever arranged this event got the scorn they deserved. Talk about a PR nightmare. The organizers sabotaged the event's credibility, if not the event itself, by lying about its provenance.

Team USA wins 6th NB3 Challenge

Team USA Claims Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge TitleTeam USA outshot a star lineup of international PGA Tour golfers to win the 2013 Notah Begay III Foundation, NB3 Challenge, hosted by the Oneida Indian Nation at Turning Stone Resort's Atunyote Golf Club in central New York on Wednesday.

Rickie Fowler and Begay's resolute focus, paired with the artful strategy of Gary Woodland and Bo Van Pelt, gave Team USA the competitive edge needed to secure victory in the combined, best-ball event. The sixth annual NB3 Challenge not only attracted thousands of enthusiastic golf fans, but raised funds and awareness to benefit the mission of the Notah Begay III Foundation, NB3F, which addresses the pressing health and wellness issues facing American Indian children.

“Year after year, this event serves as a unique platform to raise awareness for the disparities in resources and support facing Native American communities,” said the fundraiser's host, four-time PGA Tour winner and NBC/Golf Channel Analyst Notah Begay III.

"The combination of humbling support, financial contributions and strategic partnerships with world class golfers, Oneida Indian Nation and loyal fans is so powerful, and truly invaluable, in driving our mission to reverse the obesity and type 2 diabetes epidemic among Native children. I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who helps us with this mission."Notah Begay III Foundation to Launch New $1.5 Million Diabetes InitiativeThe Notah Begay III Foundation, NB3F, has announced it will launch a new initiative to expand its fight against childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes for American Indian children.

This announcement, which includes plans to lead extensive research and advocacy initiatives while assisting more American Indian communities in developing their own evidence-based health and wellness programs, was made possible through a generous $1.5 million grant to NB3F by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, one of the nation's largest health foundations.

“This is a transformative time for the Notah Begay III Foundation. It's the next step in realizing our vision to empower Native American children nationwide to achieve their potential as tomorrow's leaders,” said four time PGA Tour winner, NBC/Golf Channel analyst and NB3F founder, Notah Begay III–Navajo/San Felipe Pueblo.

"Childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes are epidemics in Native American communities. Until we invest the appropriate resources to turn the tide against these preventable diseases, they will continue to overwhelm our communities. There is still much more work to be done but, with the help of the great people at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the ongoing support of all our partners and donors, we've taken a very important step toward accomplishing our mission."
Comment:  For more on Begay, see Begay Joins NBC Golf Team and Notah Finally Wins NB3 Challenge.

Below:  "Notah Begay III Foundation, NB3F, Board of Directors celebrates another successful NB3 Challenge yesterday."

Mohawk golfer qualifies for US Open

Native Golfer Earns Spot in U.S. Open, Call from Notah BegayIt's official: Jesse Smith, Mohawk from Six Nations, has qualified for the U.S. Open, the second major golf tournament of the season.

Smith, 33, who has golfed professionally for seven years, played his way into the U.S.'s national championship by finishing in the top four at a sectional qualifying round staged at Century Country Club in Purchase, New York on June 3. This will be Smith's first appearance in a major--and in a PGA Tour event. The last Native American to compete at the U.S. Open was Jeff Curl, Wintu, son of former PGA Tour player Rod Curl, according to Stephen Tooshkenig, the president of ST Golf, which works with Native golfers to develop their game.Comment:  For more on Native golfers, see Begay Joins NBC Golf Team and Wintu Golfer Qualifies for US Open.

Begay joins NBC golf team

Begay Joins NBC, Golf Channel as ReporterThe next time Notah Begay is inside the ropes on the PGA Tour, he'll be holding a microphone instead of a golf club.

Begay starts a new line of work this week at the Sony Open as a full-time member of the broadcast team for NBC Sports and Golf Channel. He will be a walking course reporter at Waialae Country Club.

An opening was created when Dottie Pepper, who joined the board of the PGA of America, retired from NBC last year to pursue programs geared toward junior golf.

Begay is a Navajo, the only full-blooded American Indian to play on the PGA Tour. He won four times on the Tour until his career was slowed by back injuries.Comment:  On the one hand, Begay may be the only Indian on a major network sports broadcasting team. On the other hand, a course reporter for a golf team may be one of the lowest-ranking jobs.

For more on Begay, see Notah Finally Wins NB3 Challenge and Begay to Receive Bartlett Award.

Notah finally wins NB3 Challenge

Notah finally breaks through with win in own charity event

By Chris WagnerFor five years, Notah Begay III has planned, hosted and played in his NB3 Foundation Challenge at Turning Stone’s Atunyote Golf Club. And for the first four years, he wound up as a winner for his foundation but without a trophy for his golf.

With a closing 8-footer for birdie on Wednesday, Begay, long plagued by back problems, finally earned one of the Native American victory vases that he helps select each year. And it was cause for celebration.

“It’s like winning the lottery,” said Begay, who teamed with longtime friend Tiger Woods to beat K.J. Choi and Y.E. Yang in one of three “East Meets West” challenge matches. “I always thought one of these would look great on my mantle.”

Begay had much to do with winning his and Woods’ match, rolling in five birdies to four for Woods. It produced a best-ball score of 9-under 63–the lowest round of the day and enough to hold off Choi and Yang’s collective 65.

That result gave the West–or American–team the decisive point in its 2½ to ½ victory over the East–or Asian–squad in a charity exhibition that raised $500,000 for Begay’s work in battling Type II diabetes among Native American children.Comment:  For more on the subject, see 4th NB3 Challenge and 3rd NB3 Challenge Raises $1.25 Million.

Below:  "Notah Begay gives Tiger Woods a hug after mistakingly picking up Tigers mark on the 9th hole in the NB3 Foundation Challenge at Atunyote Golf Club at Turning Stone, Aug. 29, 2012." (Dennis Nett/The Post-Standard)

Wintu golfer qualifies for US Open

Native American Golfer Jeff Curl Qualifies for U.S. Open Golf ChampionshipJeff Curl, Northern Wintu tribe, was one of seven people who qualified for the United States Open golf championships yesterday at Woodmont Country Club qualifying site in Rockville, Maryland. Jeff is the youngest son of Rod Curl who was the first full-blooded Native American to win a PGA Tour event. That event was the 1974 Colonial National Invitational where he beat famed golf legend Jack Nicklaus by one stroke. Rod is now a corporate golf instructor for VIP Golf Academy in Jupiter, Florida

Jeff Curl played collegiality at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and is a veteran of the eGolf Tour and Gateway Tour and won the eGolf Tour’s 2004 and 2006 Emerald Lake Classic; he made his PGA Tour debut as a Monday qualifier at the 2012 Puerto Rico Open earlier this year, finishing T71. Jeff currently ranks 66th on the Nationwide Tour money list for the 2012 season.Comment:  For more on Native golfers, see Begay to Receive Bartlett Award and Begay Tries PGA Comeback.

Begay to receive Bartlett Award

Notah Begay III to be Honored with the Golf Writers Association of America’s Charlie Bartlett AwardNotah Begay is used to garnering trophies. The 39-year old Navajo/San Felipe/Isleta professional golfer won four of them on the PGA Tour, the first American Indian to do so. On April 4, however, Begay will be presented with arguably the most important award of his life, the Golf Writers Association of America’s Charlie Bartlett Award (GWAA) at the Annual Awards Dinner in Augusta, Georgia. Begay’s being honored for his tireless efforts with his namesake NB3 Foundation, which he began in 2005 to help promote healthy living and battle Type-2 diabetes and obesity among American Indian youth. The award is named for the first secretary of the GWAA, and is given each year to a professional golfer for his or her unselfish contributions to the betterment of society.

Begay’s NB3 Foundation has raised $3.23 million in three years through the annual NB3 Foundation Challenge Golf Event, a star-studded golf tournament drawing some of the biggest names in the sport in an effort to raise money for the Foundation.Comment:  For more on Notah Begay, see Begay Tries PGA Comeback and 4th NB3 Challenge.

Begay tries PGA comeback

Notah Begay III charts a course back to the PGA

Notah Begay III was a big story in golf before an injury sidelined him for over 10 years. This 'Friend of Tiger Woods' now has a foundation and a broadcast gig and is working his way back to the PGA.

By Bill DwyreHe says, even though he kept trying comebacks on the PGA Tour, that it took him six or seven years to get his back in "manageable condition." He didn't have surgery, and when asked about that, he answers a la Frank Sinatra. "I did it my way," he says.

In those 11 years, he has disappeared from winner's circles, but not from golf.

Begay still lives in Albuquerque, near where he grew up. He got married six years ago, has two children and says, "That's the best thing you can be part of."

He does on-air commentary work for the Golf Channel and loves it.

"My job there is to create opinion," he says. "I don't want to be on the fence. Broadcasting is about stimulating discussion."

Part of his story is that he is a Native American, the only full-blooded one to ever play in the Masters, he says. He has a foundation and a consulting business that furthers several Native American causes — among his biggest backers are the San Manuel Indians — and builds golf courses with better access for Native Americans.

His roots extend to his grandfather, Notah Begay I, who was one of the code talkers sent to World War II with the Marines and asked to communicate key messages in their Navajo language. This was the group that inspired the 2002 movie "Windtalkers."Comment:  For more on Notah Begay III, see 4th NB3 Challenge and Woods, Bradford to Golf with Begay.

Timberlake's Cherokee golf course

Justin Timberlake Wins Green Award With Native-Themed Golf CourseAt the Environmental Media Association‘s 21st annual Environmental Media Awards, held October 15, Actor and singer Justin Timberlake received the EMA Futures Award for his Mirimichi golf course, located near his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.

Timberlake, who initially rose to fame as a member of boy band *NSync and then as a solo artist and has starred in such films as The Social Network and the upcoming thriller In Time, has made occasional comments about his likely Native ancestry. In an article at contactmusic.com he is quoted as saying: “I’ve had my genealogy studied and I want to say that I am of British descent. … There was a British lad who was in a war, not sure which war, but he ran away from the war because he fell in love with an Indian girl, and that’s where my family tree started.”

On its website, Thompson, the firm that helped develop the brand for the course, specifically identifies Timberlake’s ancestral tribe and explains the course’s name. “Justin is part Cherokee Indian,” it reads, “We discovered the word mirimichi by searching old Indian names. Mirimichi happens to mean, ‘Place of happy retreat.’”

The course’s logo is an arrowhead, and its holes are given Cherokee names: #2 is Gada-ama (“Muddy Water”), #9 is Egategawi (“Sunset”), #10 is Inadu (“Snake”).Comment:  For more on Native golf, see 4th NB3 Challenge and NFL Stars to Golf at Pechanga.

4th NB3 Challenge

Hunter Mahan and Cristie Kerr Team Up to Repeat as Champs at Fourth Annual Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge

Latest Edition of Event Thrills Golf Fans and Raises Awareness and Funds to Improve Health and Wellness of Native American YouthThe team of Hunter Mahan and Cristie Kerr outshot a competitive field of stars from the world of men’s and women’s golf and captured their second consecutive title at the fourth annual Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation Challenge. The duo finished the mixed team, best ball tournament at Atunyote Golf Club course at Turning Stone Resort & Casino 11 under par, one shot clear of the runner-up pairing of Rickie Fowler and Annika Sorenstam. Not only did the NB3 Foundation Challenge provide an entertaining tournament for golf fans, the event also raised $500,000 for the NB3 Foundation, aiding the Foundation’s effort to improve health and wellness for youth in Native American communities across the country.

“Our event provides an incredible platform to raise awareness for the health issues–namely obesity and diabetes–that are affecting Native youth at a startlingly high rate,” said the event’s host and four-time PGA TOUR winner, Notah Begay III. “It’s through the support of great golfers, the Oneida Indian Nation and all those who attend that we’re able to continue our mission of building a sustainable movement empowering these kids to lead healthier, more successful lives. I’m so humbled and grateful for everyone’s contributions.”Tiger Woods honored by captain's pick

By Bob HarigWoods was at Atunyote Golf Club at Turning Stone on Wednesday as part of the Notah Begay Foundation Challenge, a one-day event featuring eight players. The event was originally scheduled for July 5 but was pushed back due to the knee and Achilles injuries that kept Woods from competing until the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in early August.

Begay is a four-time PGA Tour winner and former teammate of Woods' when they were at Stanford.

"He's been the world to me," Woods said of Begay. "He's been like a big brother."

Woods was paired with LPGA star Suzann Pettersen in the mixed-team best ball format. Others in the competition are tour players Begay, Rickie Fowler and Hunter Mahan, along with LPGA Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam, Cristie Kerr and Natalie Gulbis. Begay's foundation supports Native American youth.Comment:  The Woods/Pettersen team came in third and the Begay/Gulbis team fourth.

Perhaps because the tournament was delayed, quarterbacks Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys and Sam Bradford (Cherokee) of the St. Louis Rams weren't present.

I don't think I've heard Woods speak so warmly of Begay before.

The event raised $500,000, down from $1.25 million last year and $1 million two years ago.

For more on the subject, see Woods, Bradford to Golf with Begay and 3rd NB3 Challenge Raises $1.25 Million.

Woods, Bradford to golf with Begay

Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge Teed UpNotah Begay (Navajo/Pueblo) and the Oneida Indian Nation are teaming up for the fourth time in their fight against obesity and to promote youth sports and wellness within American Indian communities. The fourth anual Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation Challenge is slated for July 5 at Turning Stone Resort’s Atunyote Golf Club.

The event has once again attracted huge stars from both the sports and entertainment worlds, with golf giant Tiger Woods and rising star (and part Navajo) Rickie Fowler teeing off alongside NFL quarterbacks Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys and Sam Bradford, Cherokee, of the St. Louis Rams in the two-person team, best ball 18-hole shootout.

Proceeds from the tournament go directly to the Notah Begay II Foundation, which has raised more than $2.4 million in the first three years of the event.Notah Begay Promotes Healthy Living to American Indian StudentsThis weekend, four-time PGA Tour winner Notah Begay III, who comes from the Navajo, San Felipe Pueblo and Isleta Pueblo tribes, will advocate leading a healthy lifestyle to American Indian youth and draw attention to the growing epidemic of type 2 diabetes in Indian Country.

Begay is returning to his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he will lead a series of televised events expected to reach 97 percent of all American Indian students nationwide.

As a guest on Native America Calling from 11 am to noon on April 29, Begay will spread his wellness message to more than 67 tribal and public radio stations. Begay will speak in-studio with high school and college students from the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians of California, who participate in a leadership development program sponsored by the the NB3 Foundation, the nonprofit organization that Begay created with his father to help fight childhood obesity and diabetes. The students are partaking in a journalism seminar intended to expose them to career opportunities in news and media, such as radio, television, magazine and social media platforms.Comment:  For more on the subject, see 3rd NB3 Challenge Raises $125 Million and NB3 Foundation Fights Obesity.

NFL stars to golf at Pechanga

NFL stars to play golf at Pechanga to support Marshall Faulk Foundation

Celebrity guests include Terrell Davis, Eric Dickerson, Warren Sapp, Sterling Sharpe and many others.Gridiron great Marshall Faulk is set to once again bring his Celebrity Extravaganza to Southwest Riverside on Nov. 5-6 at Pechanga Resort & Casino.

Celebrity guests include Terrell Davis, Eric Dickerson, Warren Sapp, Sterling Sharpe and many others.

Pechanga will serve as the presenting sponsor of the Extravaganza, which gets underway with a pairings reception at 7 p.m. on Nov. 5 at the Eagles Nest at Pechanga. Tickets are still available.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Golf Pro at Pechanga Course and Pix of Pechanga Golf Course.

Below:  "The Marshall Faulk Foundation will tee-up its 15th annual golf tournament at Journey at Pechanga Resort & Casino Nov. 5-6."

Turning Stone off PGA Tour

Turning Stone off PGA TourThe Turning Stone Resort Championship is off the PGA Tour after a four-year run.

The tournament, staged at Atunyote Golf Club since 2007, will not return to the PGA Tour schedule in 2011. Turning Stone, which is owned by the Oneida Indian Nation of New York, was seeking an unencumbered date during the PGA Tour regular season, but a mutually acceptable date did not become available.

Oneida Nation representative Ray Halbritter said the resort wanted a stand-alone date in either June, July or August, two weeks before or after a major.

"It's a frustrating experience," Halbritter said Friday in a phone interview with The Associated Press. "We did seek a better date, and one wasn't available. We're in a climate that doesn't have as large a window as maybe Las Vegas or Florida or southern climates. For us, a date is important to be in a good, temperate zone."Comment:  For more on the subject, see Halbritter to Play in PGA Event and Golf Championship = Major Accomplishment.

Lakota kids' tour player of the year

Donald Bushman blazing the greens

14-year-old named Tour Player of the Year

By Sam LaskarisThough he’s only five feet tall and weighs about 100 pounds, Donald Bushman, Oglala Sioux, is making a rather big name for himself on the golf course.

Donald, who turned 14 Sept. 23, was rather impressive on the U.S. Kids Golf Northern Virginia Tour earlier this year.

The teen, who lives in Silver Spring, Md., participated in seven of the eight events on the tour. He registered a top three finish in all of those tournaments.

He ended up being named the Tour Player of the Year for his age group (13 and 14).Comment:  For more on Native golfers (other than Notah Begay), see Collegiate Navajo/Oneida/Ojibwe Golfer and Pro Navajo/Japanese Golfer.

3rd NB3 Challenge raises $1.25 million

Hitting the fairway every time

NB3 Challenge continues success in Indian country

By Leeanne RootComing in 10 under par, Hunter Mahan and Cristie Kerr beat a field of PGA and LPGA stars to win the third annual Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge. Their final score was two better than the runner-up pairing of Rickie Fowler and Annika Sorenstam.

This year’s event, held again at Atunyote Golf Club at Turning Stone Resort & Casino, was a little different than last year. The format changed from skins to a mixed team, best ball format, and the laid back nature of the charity event made for more crowd interaction and banter between the players.And:Fowler, who has finished second on the PGA Tour twice as of June 2010 and is currently ranked No. 34, is one-quarter Navajo.

“This is part of who I am and I definitely want to be able to give back to my people,” Fowler’s grandmother is full Navajo. He said getting to know Begay and being able to play at the Challenge has made him want to get closer to the Native part of his heritage.

But in the end, the day was about the kids, the foundation and helping Begay raise money to combat Type 2 diabetes and obesity in Native American children. After the players finished, a check for $1.25 million was presented to the foundation.Comment:  For more on the subject, see NB3 Foundation Fights Obesity and 2nd NB3 Challenge Raises $1 Million.

Below:  "Notah Begay III teed off at the first hole while his partner, Lorena Ochoa, (to the left in a green shirt) who has 27 LPGA Tour wins and was ranked No. 1 in the world when she retired in May 2010; and Rickie Fowler, (to the left in pink) who has finished second on the PGA Tour twice as of June 2010 and is currently ranked No. 34, watched." (Leeanne Root/Indian Country Today)

NB3 Foundation fights obesity

NB3 Foundation to expand programs to fight obesity among Native youth

By Will ChavezA major health issue for Native people today is obesity and poor fitness levels, especially among the youth. In 2005, the NB3 Foundation led by pro golfer Notah Begay (Navajo/San Felipe/Isleta) began to work on addressing health issues such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes facing Native American youth on reservations by building awareness and raising funds.

The funds were used to fund golf and soccer teams for Native youth including the sponsorship of a soccer club for children on the San Felipe reservation north of Albuquerque.And:Statistics gathered by the NB3 Foundation show 60 percent of children at San Felipe are overweight.

“So statistically, we are fighting some serious numbers at San Felipe, and unfortunately it’s not just San Felipe-specific,” Echo Hawk said. “We are seeing similar rates of children being overweight and/or obese in tribal communities. The average now is well over a third of our children in tribal communities are obese.”

However, at San Felipe the soccer programs are making a difference because the NB3 Foundation with help from the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health has seen “significant” improvement in children in their overall physical fitness after 10 weeks in the program.Comment:  For more on the subject, see 2nd NB3 Challenge Raises $1 Million and Tiger Wins 2nd NB3 Challenge.

Below:  "San Felipe Pueblo leaders take part in a May 6 groundbreaking ceremony for a youth soccer field with NB3 founder Notah Begay, far right. The collegiate-size field was recently completed and will serve the pueblo’s youth soccer club." (Photo courtesy of the NB3 Foundation)

Halbritter to play in PGA event

Halbritter enters Turning Stone event as pro

By David M. JohnsonRay Halbritter, the head of the Oneida Nation Representative and CEO of Nation Enterprises, announced Tuesday he will compete in the Turning Stone Resort Championship taking place August 5-8.

“It’s just a golfers dream,” Halbritter said of his entry. “I earned that privilege passing my players ability test.”

With the help of golf pro Rick Smith and PGA player Notah Begay III, Halbritter worked on his game then passed a test in Florida that made him eligible to compete in PGA events.

Because he did not play in any tournaments to qualify for the event, Halbritter had to get a sponsor exemption to enter the championship.And:Another new angle is a partnership with the Buffalo Bills. The NFL team looks to reach a market of fans it did not have access to in the past, according to ex-Bills star Steve Tasker.

“The Bills are interested in regionalizing the franchise,” Tasker said.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Begay as Golf Analyst and 2nd NB3 Challenge Raises $1 Million.

Below:  "Ray Halbritter, Notah Begay III, and Steve Tasker answers question during a press conference about the Turning Stone Resort Championship on Tuesday, July 20, 2010. The Turning Stone Resort Championship will be held August 2-8 2010 at Atunyote Golf Club." (John Haeger)

Collegiate Navajo/Oneida/Ojibwe golfer

Chipping away

Native collegiate golfer pursues dream of competing on PGA tour

By Sunnie RedhouseThere is no doubt that Webster is a young, accomplished athlete from southern California but there is also another side to him that often gets forgotten.

His mother is from the Navajo reservation, near the Tuba City-Flagstaff area. And his father is Oneida/Ojibwe from Wisconsin. He is one of four children and he and his brothers were born and raised in San Bernardino where his parents have worked for over 25 years. But Webster calls the Navajo reservation his home.

Although he and his brothers spent most of their lives in their San Bernardino community they were always reminded of where they came from as they danced in powwows and visited the reservation on many occasions.

"I told myself, you know what if I was to be able to be a success, I want to come back and I want to help my people all over Navajo land," Webster said. "I want to start something, I want to start something like Tiger has. I want to help out young Navajo kids, not just Navajo kids, Sioux kids, Oneida kids and other Native kids."Comment:  For more on the subject, see Pro Navajo/Japanese Golfer and Begay as Golf Channel Analyst.

Below:  "Cal State San Bernardino senior Gene Webster Jr. tees off at the 2009 NCAA national men's golf championships in Blaine, Washington at the Loomis Trails Golf Club. Webster, who is Dine and Oneida/Ojibwe, finished third in the playoffs and earned All-America honors."

Begay as Golf Channel analyst

Notah Begay brings unique Tiger Woods perspective to Golf Channel

By Michael HiestandNotah Begay is making his Golf Channel on-air debut as a studio analyst during the Masters. But, says the golfer, don't get the wrong idea: "Believe it or not, they asked me last fall before all of Tiger's personal problems. Most people would think they only asked me because of my personal relationship with Tiger, but I have something to say whether it's related to Tiger or not."

But Begay, who is a Native American, does have an unusually intimate take on Woods. He says they've been "best of friends" since he was 12 and both were playing elite junior golf "where more often than not we were the only minorities." Since Begay's parents couldn't afford to travel with him, Woods' father Earl "took me under his wing" on the circuit—and Begay followed Woods to Stanford where they were teammates.

Begay, who has four PGA Tour victories but last year made the cut just four times in 15 starts, is interested in pursuing TV work. He's already the first male TV golf analyst to appear on-air in earrings: "That's a testament to my commitment to the Native American culture, where many men wear earrings. … I'm not just up here taking up space. I'm trying to perpetuate a positive image for Native Americans."

Begay, among those who hugged Woods immediately after Woods' initial public remarks in February, suggests the Masters is the "perfect setting" for his return since Augusta National "is very insulated" and "has control" over coverage.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Begay:  Tiger's Apology Was Real and 2nd NB3 Challenge Raises $1 Million.

Below:  "Notah Begay, left, and Tiger Woods have been friends since they were kids on the junior golf circuit. Begay debuted this week as an analyst on the Golf Channel." (Joe Skipper, AP)