You can expect more than basketball from the SDSU Jackrabbits team this Friday.
During the game against Georgia State, SDSU Athletics and the Wokini Initiative are sponsoring the second official Native American Heritage Night. Fans can look forward to Indigenous dancers, a drum group, trivia and more.
The dancers and drum group that are performing will consist of current students at SDSU and SDSU alumni. They will be featured during half time after the recognition of our Indigenous student clubs.
Maggan Schultz, the assistant athletic director, said last year focused on creating a strong foundation to support the growth of this program.
This year the Native American Heritage Night is expanding on the event “to include more interactive opportunities for fans to engage with Native culture,” Schultz said. This includes adding two-minute timeout trivia relating to both Native American Heritage and SDSU history.
“SDSU Athletics partnered with the Wokini Initiative and the American Indian Student Center to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the people in our community,” Schultz said.
Schultz said SDSU athletes will gain a greater appreciation for the culture and history of the Native American community. This event allows them to see the broader impact of their programs beyond sports, which will foster respect, awareness and meaningful connections with fans and the community.
“Native American Heritage Night was created to honor and recognize Native American contributions, increase awareness, and provide a platform for cultural celebration within our athletics programs,” Schultz said.
Wakinya Bose, coordinator of engagement, highlighted the importance of having a spotlight on Indigenous student groups on campus and their accomplishments in front of the whole community.
“Having support from (SDSU) Athletics or SDSU in general is huge,” Bose said. “As we progressively get bigger as a program, it’ll get better.
“The perspective of the students is huge,” said Marisa Hare, Indigenous Adviser of Student Success.
She said engagement with the audience and the community is equally as important as highlighting the accomplishments of the students.
Members of the American Indian Student Association (AISA) and American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) will be brought on the court to be recognized for their accomplishments – similar to last year’s Native American Heritage Night.
Since November is Native American Heritage Month, AISA and AISES, in past years, have already been recognized in basketball games during that month.
Last year, 22 Indigenous high school students from around the Brookings area attended the first Native American Heritage Night. This year, that number has more than doubled.
“We’re really excited because we’ve invited 250 Native students in the region to attend.” said Keely Eagleshield, Wokini Initiative director.
She explained how the Wokini Initiative and SDSU are working to “create that sense of belonging authentically.”
Eagleshield wants Indigenous high schoolers to know that there is a safe space for them at SDSU and the Brookings Community.
“Whether they attend or family members attend or maybe one day their kids attend SDSU, they’ll know that this is a safe and welcoming space to Native students,” said Eagleshield.
The Wokini Initiative is sponsoring groups of students to come to the event, many being in groups associated with local partners they’ve either worked with previously or that have been interested.
SDSU Athletics encourages everyone attending to approach the night with curiosity and respect. This event is to learn from the cultural programming and “celebrate alongside the Native communities that make South Dakota unique,” Schultz said.
