Snoqualmie youths design Nikes

Nike workshop invites tribe to design shoesStanding before a desk holding colored pencils and pads of drawing paper, Running Start senior Sam Matson recently told a crowd of 15 youths from Native American tribes across the state about the Nike design challenge.

Many of the youths were part of the Snoqualmie Tribe and some had traveled from as far as Yakima to the workshop in Carnation. In the first of five workshops, participants learned about narrative and story telling and sketched a few designs plucked straight from their imaginations.

The group will travel to Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. Nov. 29 to meet with professional Nike designers and tour the company. Following their visit, Nike will donate a pair of blank converse sneakers to each contender. Once the shoes are painted, they will be displayed at the Nike campus in Oregon. Nike may also feature the designed shoes in a book.Comment:  I gather Nike is continuing its laudable commitment to Native people. For more on the subject, see Nike Goes Beyond the Surface and Nike Unveils Native Shoe.