Native American tribes from across country battle in Spokane in 45-team basketball tourney

Tribe pride is on the line this weekend in Spokane as Native American groups from across the nation take to the hardwood for what the tournament director called the largest native basketball tournament in the country.

The fourth annual Battle of the Nations tipped off Friday and runs through Sunday, as 45 teams from tribes as far away as Florida battle in a men’s 5-on-5, full-court tournament at The Warehouse. The winning team gets $10,000.

“A lot of players come from far away and they want to win bad and there’s a lot of money on the line, and there’s a lot of prizes and pride,” said Kamiakin Wheeler, a 43-year-old Yakama Nation player. “I would say pride more than anything. People want to win it for their nation.”

Jerry Ford Redbone, tournament director, said there are other native basketball tournaments, but this is the only one that puts tribe against tribe. Other tournaments, like Spring Fever, which Redbone hosted for 25 years before retiring it, allow tribes to join forces for the best possible team.

Prior to retiring Spring Fever, Redbone, of Wellpinit, Washington, said he had a vision of gathering tribes together in Spokane, similar to how tribes long ago gathered by the “big falls,” now Riverfront Park, for salmon.

“The vision of what I had was bringing all these nations back together again, which in Indian ways, we call like a sacred hoop,” Redbone said.

The sacred hoop returned in the tournament’s opening ceremony Friday afternoon as Redbone gathered the hundreds of players into a circle at The Warehouse.

During the ceremony, teams walked the perimeter of the gym with a player from each team holding its tribe flag as they were introduced and drums banged in the background. Teams from the Spokane Tribe of Indians, Colville Tribes, Comanche Nation and Navajo Nation were among the various tribes represented.

Ford said a team from the Seneca Nation of Indians drove all the way from New York, while the Seminole Tribe flew in from Florida.

Fans and teams waiting to play packed the perimeter of the gym and bleachers between the courts.

Marl Osceola, who came to watch his three sons play for the Seminoles, said he flew in from Hollywood, Florida, arriving in Spokane at 11 p.m. Thursday.

“It was a long day yesterday flying,” Osceola said.

He said he had never visited the Northwest.

“I love it,” he said of Spokane. “It’s beautiful.”

The Seminoles hit a flurry of 3-pointers and played physical defense en route to a 98-66 win in their opening game over Flathead Salish (Montana).

Navajo and Comanche nations played in the championship game last year, with the Navajos coming out on top.

Alfonzo Hubbard, a Navajo, and Ronnie Battle, a Comanche from Lawton, Oklahoma, both hoped to return to the title game Sunday and admitted the tournament brings out a bit more pride, since they play for their respective tribes.

Hubbard, who is originally from New Mexico but traveled from Miami where he now lives, was the tournament MVP last year.

“That’s why I came all this way,” Hubbard said of winning the title.

Meanwhile, Wheeler, the Yakama player, said he simply came to play and represent his tribe.

“It’s a lot of pride, a lot of passion for what you’re doing out here,” Wheeler said.

In addition to $10,000, the first-place team gets jackets, a traveling trophy and a metal sculpture. The three runner-up teams get sculptures and a smaller cash prize.

Wheeler said he’s played in about 15 of Redbone’s tournaments, dating back to the Spring Fever ones.

“Jerry never seems to surprise me when he puts on a Native tourney,” he said.