The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians of California is sponsoring a motorcycle racing team that includes Chad Reed, an Australian Aboriginal rider.
Jacob Coin, the tribe's public relations director, says the sponsorship is a good fit. " The kids understand where he comes from and can relate to him because he's indigenous, just like them. He's shown that life's not a waste and if he can reach for his goals, he can win in supercross. Our kids can, too," Coin tells The San Bernardino Sun.
Reed's maternal grandfather is Aboriginal but Reed said he didn't get much exposure to his roots as a youth in Australia. The 25-year-old racer says he's making up for it by connecting with tribes in the U.S.
. "I feel like I missed out a lot as a kid in Australia, but I've learned a lot more now then I did then. What the kids have here is a lot like the Aboriginals," he says.
Reed and Team San Manuel are competing in the AMA Monster Energy Supercross this Saturday.
Get the Story:Tribal union (The San Bernardino Sun 1/18) $rl San Manuel Band of Mission Indians - http://www.sanmanuel-nsn.gov
