VOA文化艺术2023--A Stamp of Approval for Skateboarding in America

For many years, skateboarding was considered an activity for young rebels or drug users in city streets, schoolgrounds and public parks.

Those days are long gone. Skateboarding, which has Indigenous¹ roots connected to surfing, is now an Olympic sport. There are many skateboarding competitions held across the United States and other countries.

Recently, skateboarding was honored with a special recognition: a postage stamp.

The U.S. Postal² Service released the stamps at a skate park in Phoenix³, Arizona. Four Indigneous artist-skateboarders created the skateboards pictured on the postage.

William Zollars, a member of the USPS Board of Governors, officiated at the event.

"As an American institution older than our country itself, the Postal Service is always looking for ways to highlight and honor the stories and histories that are unique to the United States," Zollars said. "We are honored to do that again through these ‘Art of the Skateboard' Forever stamps."

Di'Orr Greenwood is one of the artists. The 27-year-old was born and raised on the Navajo Nation in Arizona. She said as a child she was always getting pushed out of areas where she would skate. She noted⁴ the sport has come a long way.

"Now it's like being accepted on a global scale," Greenwood said. "There's so many skateboarders I know that are extremely proud of it."

The new stamps calls attention to the popularity of skateboarding, especially in Indian Country where the demand for skate parks is growing.

The artists see the stamp as a useable art piece that will be seen across the United States and around the world.

For her skateboard stamp, artist Crystal Worl honored her clan⁵ and her love of the water. A Sockeye salmon⁶ fish is represented against a blue and indigo⁷ background.

"There are certain designs, patterns and stories that belong to certain clans⁸ and you have to have permission even as an Indigenous person to share certain stories or designs," Worl said.

The other artists who created stamps are William James Taylor Jr., an artist from Virginia, and Federico "MasPaz" Frum, a Colombian-born muralist in Washington, D.C.

The USPS will print 18 million of the stamps. For the artists, being part of a project that feels low-tech in this age of social media is energizing⁹.

"Maybe I'll get a letter in the mail that someone sent me with my stamp on it," said the 35-year-old Worl, who lives in Juneau, Alaska. "I think that's when it will really hit home with the excitement of that."

Words in This Story

Indigenous – n. of or relating to the earliest known inhabitants of a place and especially of a place that was colonized¹⁰ by a now-dominant group

surfing – n. the sport of riding ocean waves, especially on a surfboard

institution – n. a significant practice, relationship, or organization in a society or culture

highlight – v. to center attention on

clan – n. a group of people tracing descent from a common ancestor

unique – adj. being without a like or equal

pattern – n. an artistic, musical, literary, or mechanical design or form

1 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

2 postal   

adj.邮政的，邮局的

参考例句：

• A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
• Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。

3 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 clan   

n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派

参考例句：

• She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。
• The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以，中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。

6 salmon   

n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的

参考例句：

• We saw a salmon jumping in the waterfall there.我们看见一条大马哈鱼在那边瀑布中跳跃。
• Do you have any fresh salmon in at the moment?现在有新鲜大马哈鱼卖吗？

7 indigo   

n.靛青，靛蓝

参考例句：

• The sky was indigo blue,and a great many stars were shining.天空一片深蓝，闪烁着点点繁星。
• He slipped into an indigo tank.他滑落到蓝靛桶中。

8 clans   

宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派

参考例句：

• There are many clans in European countries. 欧洲国家有很多党派。
• The women were the great power among the clans [gentes], as everywhere else. 妇女在克兰〈氏族〉里，乃至一般在任何地方，都有很大的势力。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源

9 energizing   

v.给予…精力，能量( energize的现在分词 )；使通电

参考例句：

• a refreshing and energizing fruit drink 提神并增加体能的果汁饮料
• The time required after energizing a device, before its rated output characteristics begin to apply. 从设备通电到它开始提供额定输出特性之间所需的时间。 来自辞典例句

10 colonized   

开拓殖民地，移民于殖民地( colonize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The area was colonized by the Vikings. 这一地区曾沦为维京人的殖民地。
• The British and French colonized the Americas. 英国人和法国人共同在美洲建立殖民地。