‘Play for your tribe’: Native tribes from across country descend upon Spokane for basketball glory

Pride, cash and prizes are on the line for nearly 100 teams from Native American tribes across the nation as they hit the hardwood this weekend in Spokane and Liberty Lake.

Sixty-four men’s teams and 32 women’s teams will compete Friday through Sunday in the sixth annual Battle of the Nations basketball tournament, said Jerry Ford Redbone, tournament director. This is the first year women will play.

The men will play at the HUB Sports Center in Liberty Lake, and the women will play at the Warehouse in Spokane.

“It’s about bringing all the nations together and bringing ’em here to Spokane, our home ancestral lands,” said Redbone, of Wellpinit, Washington.

The full-court, 5-on-5 tournament draws Inland Northwest tribes, like Spokane, Colville, Coeur d’Alene and Kalispell, but also tribes from as far away as Florida, the Midwest and Canada.

Redbone 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.

“I just made a simple rule: play for your tribe, and it just was a hit, just kept on growing,” he said.

He said 32 women’s teams in the first year is a “huge turnout.” The 64 men’s teams are the same as last year. The first Battle of the Nations tournament had about 18 teams, according to Redbone.

Pitting tribe against tribe creates a more prideful atmosphere.

“It’s a friendly war on the basketball court,” he said.

But sometimes emotions rise in the friendly war.

“The refs gotta keep it under control,” Redbone said.

The teams were introduced Thursday night onto the wood floor of Spokane Live at the Spokane Tribe Casino in Airway Heights as part of the tournament’s opening ceremonies. With drums beating on stage and an emcee announcing each tribe, hundreds of athletes filled the floorspace as they slowly walked with their tribes carrying their tribe flag.

Women from the Makah Tribe from Neah Bay, Washington, represented some of the players.

Laila Greene, 22, said she looked forward to playing with her cousins and sister for their tribe. She said it’s fun to compete in Native American basketball tournaments where they’re allowed to play with women from other tribes.

“But to be able to come together and represent just your own tribe and then play against your friends, it’s always a good time,” she said.

Although Neah Bay is on the western edge of Washington, Greene is familiar with Spokane.

She played at Neah Bay High School and makes the trip to the east side of the state to take in the State 1B tournament at the Arena. The Neah Bay girls team beat Garfield-Palouse last month at the Arena for its third straight state title.

Tristin Johnson, 26, said the last time she and some of her teammates played as a team was in high school.

“We’re just excited to play together,” Johnson said.

Justina Brown, of the Makah Tribe, is in charge of the women’s tournament.

Redbone said people, including Brown, asked when he was going to start a women’s tournament. The growth of the men’s tournament made adding a women’s division too difficult for Redbone to handle on his own, so he asked Brown if she was interested.

Brown agreed to take on the challenge.

“I said, ‘OK, you handle the women’s, I’ll handle the men’s,’ ” Redbone said.

The games consist of 20-minute halves with a running clock that only stops in the last three minutes of each half.

The Turtle Mountain Chippewas from North Dakota beat the defending champions, Comanche Nation of Oklahoma, in last year’s championship game. It was Turtle Mountain’s first Battle of the Nations title, Redbone said. Both tribes are back this weekend.

The tournament attracts great talent, including some with college and professional experience.

The top four teams in both tournaments earn painted buffalo skulls, which were on display at Spokane Live Thursday. Redbone said Pendleton jackets will be awarded for the champions only.

The top teams will earn cash, but Redbone said the amounts will be determined at the end of the tournament. Last year, the first-place team received $12,000, and the three runners-up received lesser amounts.