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National Park Service News Release For Immediate Release Contact – Superintendent Alden Miller 719.438.5916 “Holiday in the National Parks” Celebrated at the White House Sand Creek Massacre NHS Ornament Displayed on the Official White House Christmas Tree Eads, Colorado – Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site’s holiday ornament is prominently displayed on this year’s official White House Christmas Tree. The tree is the centerpiece of elaborate decorations celebrating the theme of “Holiday in the National Parks.” “It is an amazing honor for the National Park Service to be selected as the theme for the White House holiday decorations by the President and Mrs. Bush,” said National Park Service Director Mary A. Bomar. “Mrs. Bush is the best champion for our national parks, and the beautiful decorations in each state room showcase the natural and historical treasures found in parks throughout the country.” The tree, located in the Blue Room, is adorned with handmade ornaments representing the country’s 391 National Park Service sites. “Each ornament on the magnificent 18-foot Fraser fir was designed by an artist selected by the park,” said Bomar. “The ornaments tell the stories of our parks, just as our parks tell the stories of our nation.” Gordon Yellowman, a descendent of the massacre as well as a chief, hailing from the Cheyenne Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma and a resident of Concho, designed the ornament for the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. Mr. Yellwoman attended the White House reception hosted by First Lady Laura Bush along with artists and their guests from parks across the nation. The NPS has developed web page with images of all of the ornaments and the White House now has a slideshow with many of them. The NPS site contains individual images from over 350 areas. Since some parks are in fact “double” sites (e.g., Denali Park and Preserve) and some are administered by other areas, the actual count does not match the total number of units. The link to the site is http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/whho2007/WebPage-Thumb.00001.html The slide show at the White House site is in alphabetical order, segueing from one ornament to the next. There are about 350 images, so it takes some time to scroll through unless you click ahead. That link is http://www.whitehouse.gov/slideshow/ornamentslides.html Here are some guidelines on the use of the individual images found on the NPS page: · The images posted on this web site are the official photos taken by the White House. The NPS has been given permission by the White House to use these images on its web pages (parks may post them). And we may distribute them to the press and news media. Please ask for a photo credit as follows: White House photo. · The ornaments will not be returned to the artist or the park. They belong to the White House and will be preserved for future use. · Artists were given guidance by the White House for preparing the ornaments. Part of the guidance included the following statement: "Designs and ornaments may not be reproduced or replicated for sale or advertised as ‘designed for the White House.’" Therefore, the NPS can't produce replica ornaments for sale. There are some amazingly beautiful designs in this collection. We hope you have time to explore the web site. The holiday displays at the White House incorporate the wide variety of natural, cultural, and recreational features preserved by the National Park Service. Models of icons such as the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and the Statue of Liberty share space with paintings of scenic vistas from Grand Canyon, Zion, and Rocky Mountain National Parks. Holiday garlands intertwined with park objects including seashells, pine cones, and gold aspen leaves add to each room’s festive feel. A highlight of the decorations is a scaled-down, but architecturally accurate, gingerbread reproduction of the south view of the White House, a unit of the National Park Service. The edible masterpiece includes Bush family pets Barney, Miss Beazley, and Willie frolicking on the lawn with moose, elk, raccoons, and other animals found in national parks. “National Parks commemorate the people, places, and events that define the American experience,” said Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne. “I am so appreciative of President Bush’s efforts to recognize the important role of national parks in American society. Our country will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016 and the President has been instrumental in establishing the National Park Centennial Initiative to prepare the parks for the next century.”
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