“Rez ballers were my NBA when I grew up,” he says proudly.
“Rez ball” has a long history in Indian Country and has existed largely as a world unto itself, mostly confined to reservations and surrounding areas. Indian basketball tournaments, essentially semi-pro events, have enjoyed a huge following for many years. The Wapato Tournament on the Yakama reservation in Washington State, which is in its 52nd year, is one of the larger, more established events and hires state-certified officials to oversee competition.
Many, however, are loosely organized affairs, with fluid rules and officials hired from among the sponsors of friends or relatives. Participants play for modest sums, with winning teams earning perhaps $500 per teammate on the high end in addition to coveted leather tournament jackets. Successful players sometimes receive sponsorship that covers room and travel. The most alluring award, however, is a measure of fame in a community with precious few resources or opportunities for its youth to shine on their own terms.
“That’s why NABI is such a dream come true,” says Tex Hall, former head of the NCAI, the National Congress of American Indians. “So much is stacked against them.”
--Mary Annette Pember
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