Lakota Nation Invitational

Dec 22, 2014

We sent a writer to the Lakota Nation Invitational Tournament (LNI) last weekend in Rapid City. We’ll have a major feature article on the LNI in the fall of 2015, but we thought we’d share some photographs of the big winter extravaganza that has been held for the past 38 years at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Photos by Bernie Hunhoff.

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Several thousand youth — mostly Native American kids from rural school districts — gather in South Dakota’s second largest city for the event.
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Samantha Bowker, a senior guard for Cheyenne-Eagle Butte, kept an eye on the scoreboard as her team played Little Wound High School from Kyle.
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The Cheyenne-Eagle Butte cheerleaders supported Samantha and the team.
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One of the halftime shows featured the winner of a poetry slam held during LNI. Numerous events take place, including traditional Lakota hand games, a quiz bowl, wrestling and others.
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A team from T.F. Riggs High School in Pierre won the 2014 quiz bowl. The bright young ladies include (from left) Emily Plumage, Miranda Rockwood, Haley Sherwood and Tayia Long Fox.
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Kobey O’Rourke, a junior from Red Cloud School, had a good tournament. He has been playing basketball since he was 4 years old with his five brothers on the Pine Ridge.

Comments

10:55 am - Thu, January 29 2015

Bruce Tucker said:

I am old enough to remember the State "B" basketball game of Pine Ridge vs Alexandria, about 1962. Mel & John Thomas - playing for Alexandria. The 1969 93 to 90 Championship between Onida and DeSmet, may be the only game to surpass it, in my recollection, and Dave Thomas starred in that game, for Onida!