Raising awareness

Tribal Adaptive Organization hosts wheelchair basketball camp

WINDOW ROCK

Statistically, Native American has the highest percentage of disabled members in their communities.

A 2011 study by Cornell University shows that Native American recorded a prevalence rate of 18.0 percent, which was 3.8 percent higher than African Americans.
According to the survey, the national average for all races is 10.5.

With the high prevalence rate, Noah Hotchkiss saw a need where opportunities were limited for the disabled who lives on the reservation.

Hotchkiss, who is Southern Ute, Southern Cheyenne and Caddo, was involved in a car accident when he was 11 years-old and to keep active he got involved with adaptive sports. His project, Tribal Adaptive Organization, brings adaptive sports to American Indian youths.

Last year Hotchkiss received a $10,000 grant from the Billy Mills DreamStarter Grant Program to host four separate wheelchair basketball camps. The last scheduled event was held over the weekend at Window Rock High School with two special guests.

The camp invited Mario Moran and Carlos Martinez to help coach the camp. In 2015, they were teammates of the Miami Heat Wheels, a team that was crowned the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Division III champs.

“We took our game to another level and we made it happened,” Moran said. “Winning the championship was an emotional rollercoaster with some highs and lows but it was worth it. It wasn’t easy but we made the best out of it.”

Moran said it took them three years to win that title and the team’s accomplishments was featured in a special screening of “The Rebound” at the Navajo Nation Museum on Saturday afternoon.

“We all have a specialty in us,” Moran said. “We just have to dig hard and not let anybody interfere with what you believe in. There are going to people out there that is going to burst your dreams and visions. As long as they are not touching me I am going to keep on grinding and move forward.”

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