A new skatepark on the Navajo Nation is inspiring young women to take up skateboarding

TWO GREY HILLS, N.M. — Kaeleigh Ahasteen, 13, traveled from Ganado Saturday to a new skatepark to do what she does best: skateboard.

With windy, chilly conditions and a sky overcast with dark clouds that brought some first-day-of-fall showers, Ahasteen, along with many other young girls, took part in the first ever Modern Matriarchs Skate Jam competition. She won for her age category.

“I feel really happy,” said Ahasteen about her win.

When she was 10, Ahasteen became inspired to skateboard and asked her dad to buy her her first board from a Big 5 Sporting Goods store. Now for taking first place during this competition, she won five skateboards.

“I practice a lot,” she said. “I like how my parents support me.”

The Two Grey Hills Skatepark sits 10 miles off of U.S. Highway 491, which connects Shiprock and Gallup. The skatepark is surrounded by the Chuska mountains on one side and vast Navajo Nation landscape on the other. In April, legendary pro skater Tony Hawk celebrated the official grand opening of the skatepark.

“That’s what we need more on Navajo, more people helping other people and getting things for our kids to keep them busy,” said Amy Denet Deal, founder of 4Kinship, an upcycled vintage clothing store and the only native-owned retail shop in Santa Fe.  “We are in a remote area. We didn't want to build this park in an urban area. We wanted to build this for the kids who didn't have anything else to do.”

'Skateboarding saved my life'

Denet Deal was the driving force behind crowdfunding that ultimately led to completion of the skatepark. She was also able to get help from singer Jewel and her organization, Inspiring Children Foundation, along with Wonders Around the World (WAW). Hawk’s organization, the Skate Park Project, also assisted with the Two Grey Hills Skatepark.

“To see how fast it's come together and how the community is striving, it's amazing," said Denet Deal. "Anyone you ask, whether it's a pro skater or someone who has been in it, if you ask them what skateboarding means to them, they all say the same thing: 'skateboarding saved my life.'"

Skateboarding is more of a solo sport than anything else, but there are only a handful of skateboard parks throughout the Navajo Nation. Those who want to skate have to travel to border towns that have established skateparks, such as Farmington, Gallup or Page. Many people who shop in these towns are Navajo, as is a large part of their population.

“The urban areas are great but it's the kids out in the middle of nowhere, there’s just not the same facilities for them,” said Denet Deal. “This is a 50-mile radius of kids that can come to this park, that don't have to go to Gallup, Farmington, that can be here and be in the middle of our lands.”

Though it was a celebration of matriarchs of the sport, Denet Deal said Shawn Harrison has been teaching the young ones how to skate at the park every Sunday, and a lot of the kids who competed were his students.

“Skateboarding never says no. It's a resilient sport and the kids have no quit, so someone has to help mentor that,” said Harrison. “Kids need encouragement.”

Skating for over 20 years, Harrison said that eight to 12 kids attend his skate lessons every week from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. During these sessions, he imparts not only skateboarding skills but also emphasizes the importance of proper skating etiquette, park cleanliness and facility use.

Notably, the majority of his students who attend these lessons are enthusiastic and motivated girls eager to learn how to skate.

“Today is the very first of its kind Modern Matriarch Skate Jam,” said Harrison. “Shout out to all the ladies, the granddaughters, nieces, sisters and everyone who came out to skate. It's a lady-focused event and we are just glad to be here to help support all the future lady skateboarders.”

Skateboarding helped rebuild her family's losses

Di'Orr Greenwood hails from the Navajo community of Sawmill in northeastern Arizona, and attended the competition. She is not only a skilled skater but also an accomplished artist whose work has appeared on stamps for the U.S. Postal Service's "Art of the Skateboard" series.

Coming from a family of woodworkers known for crafting Native American flutes, she discovered that the same tools used to make flutes could be applied to skateboard construction. After her family lost everything in an arson fire, it was her love for art and skateboarding that played a crucial role in re-establishing the family business.

“We lost everything in our home to arson in 2014,” said Greenwood. “Once we lost everything, all we had left was a woodburner and a couple old skateboards I rode on, and sandpaper, so my brother helped me sand off the graphics from those boards and we designed those boards up. We sold them and were able to get our tools back to start making flutes again.”

For the last 15 years, Greenwood has been skateboarding. She briefly stopped during high school due to bullying, but when she moved to Phoenix for college, skateboarding became her primary mode of transportation. Over the past five years, she has been involved in making, manufacturing, and designing skateboards.

“It did its job, it got me to campus, it got me to work,” said Greenwood. “And it got all my groceries and water. The funny thing is, you think you leave the reservation and you don't think you have to haul water, but then you go to Phoenix and you still have to haul water. So I would put five gallon jugs of water on my skateboard and skate home. I used the skateboard in a manner where it saved me and helped me thrive.”

Randy Lynch brought his 12-year-old daughter Julie to the competition. As someone who also skateboarded, he said he got excited when his daughter showed interest. He said he brings his daughter to the Two Grey Hills Skatepark frequently to practice, and that has been beneficial for the both of them.

“I came out here for my daughter,” said Lynch. “Just to be that positive reinforcement and to celebrate the ladies, the matriarch, and to celebrate my daughter. She likes skating, she’s shy, she’s hard on herself but one of the ladies here said it best: ‘the best thing I learn from skating is you fall down but you have to get back up.’ I was happy to hear that because that’s a message a lot of people need to hear.”

Julie said getting a free skateboard got her interested in learning how to skate. This Modern Matriarchs Skate Jam competition was her first competition, and the event has invigorated her to continue to skate and practice more.

Alongside Greenwood, several other prominent female skateboarder advocates participated in the event. Rosie Archie, co-founder of Nations Skate Youth from Vancouver, British Columbia, attended. Cecely Todacheenie and her husband, Jeremy, who own Gallup's only Native-owned skate shop, were also on hand. And Peyton Alex, a self-taught illustrator and painter who mentors young skaters, joined the event.

“It’s really limitless to see what they will achieve in their sports career,” said Denet Deal about the young skaters. “All we really needed to do is give them the tools and skateboards and create the park, and the rest is up to their heart’s intention of what they can achieve.”

Arlyssa Becenti covers Indigenous affairs for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send ideas and tips to arlyssa.becenti@arizonarepublic.com.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Modern matriarchs' jam helps celebrate Two Gray Hills Skatepark