How a basketball jersey can open pathways for Native opportunities

"Honored to play on Native land."

Those are the words imprinted on the black and gold warmup jerseys that debuted at the University of Minnesota women's basketball game against Presbyterian College last Sunday.

The jersey features a combination of loom and beadwork designs reflecting both Dakota and Ojibwe heritage, said Anishinaabe designer Sarah Agaton Howes, who runs a contemporary Ojibwe design brand called Heart Berry. Flowers are framed by geometric shapes representing the "step, step, slide" of an otter track, a culturally significant motion appearing across Ojibwe traditions, including in the movement of jingle dress dancers.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2022/11/25/how-a-basketball-jersey-can-open-pathways-for-native-opportunities