Jaylen Clark and Leonard Miller joined the Elders of the Prairie Island Dakota community Thursday afternoon in Red Wing, Minn., to receive a gift and spend time with their community. The gift was that of beaded necklaces that the elders had spent over two weeks making for the Minnesota Timberwolves players.
The tribe’s statement, read by one of the high school students, outlined the importance of the necklaces. The necklaces were “a direct expression of generosity” and were “often believed to carry spiritual meaning and protection to the wearer.”
They made the necklaces with bone, seed beads, and fire-polished beads, and strung them on artificial sinew (a strong fibrous twine once made from buffalo and elk tendons). The tribe presented the necklaces to the Wolves in honor of Native American Heritage Month and their November 17 game, which will feature a Native American Heritage Night.
The gift was undoubtedly powerful. Still, the time the Wolves players spent with the elders will likely be a memory they keep for the rest of their lives.
“I think it’s dope coming into a different community, and seeing people who are really happy living in their roots,” Jaylden Clark told me. “I think it’s super dope… to be able to talk to the elders and hear their stories about where they’re from and how they got here. The trials and tribulations they had to go through, like having a nuclear waste center on their land. … It’s a humbling experience.”
Clark spent his time with the elders throughout the event, learning their heritage, asking questions, and trying to learn as much as he could. He discovered that the Dakota and Navajo languages are entirely different, that Native American communities self-govern on their land, and that the Prairie Island tribe is still battling through adversity today.
One elder spent time educating Clark about the nuclear waste center he mentioned above, which sits just 700 yards from the reservation and contains over 1,000 tons of waste.
It prompted Clark to share his story about growing up in California and learning more about native culture while at UCLA.
“It was eye-opening,” he said. “They don’t teach you everything in high school.”
He referenced how much seeing the Trail of Tears in person and learning of its real meaning changed his outlook.
On the other hand, Miller was laser-focused during his time with the community. He sat down at the table with the elders and asked if he could try his hand at making a necklace. With the help of an elder named Deloris, Miller would spend over an hour diligently threading beads and bone into a necklace.
Miller mentioned multiple times that he had never done anything like this and was nervous about making a mistake. That prompted smiles from the elders and from Deloris, who was a guiding hand for Miller. I asked Tori Campbell, one of the organizers of the event, if she expected a player to come in so focused on making a necklace up to the tribes standards.
“No, but this is awesome, I love that, I love it,” she said with her deadly Auntie beanie front and center. It’s a hat she wore with pride due to her auntie status in the community.
After their time with the elders concluded, Miller had finished his necklace, and the pair of Timberwolves posed for a photo with all the community members in attendance. They signed every ball, jersey, hat, and piece of paper that they could, and they took dozens of individual pictures. One of the students even apologized to Miller.
“I’m really sorry I traded you in 2K,” he said. “I feel bad now.”
Miller smiled widely after hearing that comment.
Long after the event was over, I received a message from one of the community’s public relations staff on my ride home.
“Jaylen is still here,” they said, “and planning a bingo outing with our elders.”
The following morning I asked Clark about staying late and planning that bingo outing.
”Oh yeah,” Clark smiled. “I’m going next Tuesday with the elders. Yeah, we’re going to play some bingo.”
The community members and players will remember events like these. The Wolves roster will receive their gift and the story behind it before the Native American Heritage Night game. However, Clark and Miller gained knowledge and memories that will likely last a lifetime.