When French settlers reached the shores of North America in the early 1600s they encountered the Native people of the region (modern day Quebec and the Great Lakes) who called themselves “Ouendat” (Wendot or Wyandot) meaning “Dwellers of the Peninsula”. These were a proud people who respected the natural world around them and lived in harmony with the earth. First contact accounts describe Wendot
men who wore their hair in mohawks or who sported single tufts of hair on top of their heads and were covered in colorful paints, and tattoos. The French explorers established trade relationships with these Native peoples and called them “Huron” as the mohawks worn by many of the men reminded the French of the bristly ridge of hair that runs down a wild boar’s back. The term in many ways was viewed as a bit derogatory, and stands in direct contrast to the French view of the Native peoples of North America as ‘Bon Iroquois’. As snowboarders we relate to this story of a proud people living close to the earth who were viewed as ‘wild’ and ‘different’ by a culture outside of their own. When the founders of this collective first strapped their Sorels into the low-back and baseless bindings of the mid 90s, snowboarders were viewed in many ways as second class citizens by the skiing establishment. Our heroes wore wild haircuts, displayed tattoos and piercings, and were unapologetic in their behaviors and attitudes. Many ski areas didn’t even allow us on their slopes for fear of our ‘untamed’ behavior. Snowboarding was seen as a serious threat to the more ‘civilized’ culture that existed in the mainstream ski community at the time. A lot has changed for us as snowboarders since then; we’ve gained acceptance from our ski community brethren, but for so many other peripheral and minority cultures in this world we cannot say the same. It is in this spirit that we are proud to introduce “The Huron Collective”. Our tribe is made up of snowboarders and artists that believe that the best thing about snowboarding is the people you do it with, not necessarily where, or how, you choose to ride. We believe that we have a responsibility to serve not only the snowboarding community at large, but the greater good of mankind as well. To this end, 5% of our profits will be donated to various underserved populations and communities of our choice each year. We all have a shared responsibility to make this world a better place; so why not do your part by doing what you love? We extend a peaceful offering to join us on our journey to do good, share stoke, and ride more. Sincerely,
The Huron Collective
