The group raised money by selling beanies, stickers and shirts at roadside stands. They got approval from the Village of Tewa for land to build the skate spot - no small feat on tribal land where development requires approval from clans, permit holders or the larger community. Each of them became comfortable talking with people outside their circle of family and friends. The co-leads, who also include Laela Nevayaktewa and Jacque Thorpe, have a mix of shy and outspoken characteristics. Have a good mind, strong heart, think about what you’re doing it for and everything will work out OK.” “The skateboard is is kind of the same principle as that. "For Hopi, a lot of things have to do from the heart and not willing to give up,” said Terrill Humeyestewa, one of the co-leads. In one of their videos, someone picks up a skateboard for the first time, learns new tricks and is celebrated even when he doesn't land them. No one is too good to fall, they say in an online Wipe Out Wednesday feature. The creators of the Hopi skate spot - all teenagers when they started work in it in late 2020 - make it clear skateboarding is for everyone. “This sense of skateboarding being outsider and niche and oppositional and dangerous, I think it's really disappearing.” “That gives it legitimacy in a lot of adult eyes, people who are making the rules or who fund (skate parks)," she said. The sport that has Indigenous roots tied to surfing has gained even more acceptance since it debuted at the 2020 Olympics, said Betsy Gordon, who curated an exhibit on skateboarding in Native communities at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. Native Americans also have created their own brands of skateboards that feature traditional designs with modern twists. Some host competitions like one on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota or the All Nations Skate Jam held during the Gathering of Nations powwow in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to much smaller spots like those on Hopi. Skate parks have popped up across Indian Country in recent years, many of them youth-led. The group received a grant for branding, sold merchandise to raise money, secured a plot of land and got materials donated through partnerships. The youth group first wanted to ensure the community wanted a skate park, so they surveyed residents who overwhelmingly supported the idea. Kira Nevayaktewa came up with the logo that features a cat named "Skategod" that was part of the crew. It's called Skate 264 for the highway that runs through the 2,500 square-mile (6,474-square-kilometer) Hopi reservation and connects the more than dozen villages. The skateboarding destination opened late this spring in the Village of Tewa. “I hope this will inspire other youth groups to try and do something like this to make the Hopi community a better place for the future generations of our people,” said Quintin “Q” Nahsonhoya, one of a handful of co-leads on the project.
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