#Dechief Nike Twitterstorm

Nike's continuing sales of Chief Wahoo apparel and its failure to heed a Native protest led to another "Twitterstorm" of criticism.

Nike Responds to EONM ProtestIn a protest outside Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, on May 1, at least 15 protestors stood in front of the Nike swoosh image and held signs up saying “Nike No Wahoo” and the word “Racist” with Wahoo’s logo above the word. EONM also started a social media campaign on Twitter with the hashtag #Dechief and launched the Facebook event page “#Dechief Nike Twitterstorm.”

“We ask that Nike live up to its dedication to inclusion,” said the groups' co-founder Jacqueline Keller. “Profiting from Native Mascotry is not being diverse; it is not being inclusive. Selling items, such as a zip-up jacket, that is dually marked with ‘Chief Wahoo’ and the Nike ‘Swoosh’ makes a powerful allied statement about Nike's stance. It strongly suggests that Nike is excluding legitimate Native American concerns about the derogatory and offensive nature of Native stereotyping.”

Keeler's group plans to target companies that produce offensive gear and team owners, like Dan Snyder, who allow the use of Native imagery.

“The fact that Nike is selling items that feed into the hostility toward Native Americans is really troubling," Keeler said in a news release. "Major businesses profit off of caricatures of our people. It would not be acceptable for any other group to be portrayed like this."Redskins not only team targeted for Indian nickname

By Erik BradyDennis Brown meticulously unstitched the Chief Wahoo emblem on the sleeve of his Cleveland Indians jersey a night before leaving to visit their spring training camp in March, mixing fashion statement with political manifesto.

The longtime Cleveland sports fan tweeted a picture meant mostly for his friends, as he had few followers. But re-tweets gave the missing logo larger circulation, where it struck a nerve. Angry Clevelanders called Brown a traitor and a moron and, oddly, a communist.

It wasn't just that Brown had "de-chiefed" the jersey—his term of art. The real power of the image resides in the outline of emptiness of the threads left behind. The mind's eye can still see the big-toothed, idiot-grinning, red-faced caricature, even if all that actually remains is its ghostly outline.

A grass-roots movement inspired by Brown gained momentum on social media over the weekend as thousands using the hashtag #DeChief called on the Cleveland team to retire Chief Wahoo—and on Nike to stop producing merchandise with that logo. Jacqueline Keeler, a founding member of an activist group called Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry, said her group borrowed the DeChief idea from Brown and called on fans to make it a trending topic on Twitter. The hashtag was used 4,236 times from noon Saturday to noon Sunday.A tiny sample of the Nike-related tweets:

.:Mags Uncivilized.: ‏@Creekleo May 4
#DeChief #Nike because many folks don't know Native Americans actually exist here and now! #NotYourMascot

☀️LadyJudi ✌️ ‏@LadyJudi May 4
So for @Nike to sell @Indians Wahoo gear goes against those values of the N7 fund and shows it is about the $ and not the people #DeChief

BlueCornComics ‏@bluecorncomics May 4
The logical conclusion of @Nike's argument is that they'd sell any derogatory mascot if asked to do so. #dechief http://eonm.org/2014/05/native-americans-respond-to-nikes-refusal-to-stop-selling-chief-wahoo-products/

Nike rebuffs Chief Wahoo protest

Nike responds to Chief Wahoo protest

By Matthew KishNike on Friday issued a statement in response to a Native American group that wants Nike to stop selling merchandise with the Chief Wahoo logo of the Cleveland Indians.

The group protested Thursday outside the Nike headquarters in Washington County.

"Nike has a contractual partnership with Major League Baseball as the licensing agent for MLB team-approved marks," Nike said in the statement. "Each MLB team is responsible for choosing their team logos and marks and we understand that the Cleveland Indians are engaging their fans and the local community in conversation concerning their logo.

"Nike has a long history of supporting the Native American community and we encourage the teams and leagues to engage in constructive dialogue with their communities."

Nike is known for its commitment to diversity.I doubt Nike's reply satisfied anyone, as a few tweets suggested:

BlueCornComics ‏@bluecorncomics May 2
@jfkeeler Not a great response. Nike could challenge MLB themselves rather than wait for Natives to do it. Every contract has loopholes.

BlueCornComics ‏@bluecorncomics May 2
@richardkoyd @jfkeeler Natives have protested Chief Wahoo for 40+ years. What's Nike's excuse for signing the contract in the first place?

BlueCornComics ‏@bluecorncomics May 2
@jfkeeler Obviously, no sports team or supplier (Nike) cared about anti-mascot sentiment until Natives like you began protesting loudly.

Mike Wise ‏@MikeWiseguy May 3
@EONMassoc @Love2BFree2BMe It's like opening a foundation so brand survives. N7 gives them enough goodwill to still profit off a slur.

Nike statement on Chief Wahoo notes Major League Baseball contract

By Allan BrettmanNike's history of supporting the Native American community includes the N7 Fund, started in 2000 to support health promotion and disease prevention programs. Proceeds from the products designed through N7 are given to youth sport and physical activity programs in Native communities across North America through the N7 Fund. The fund has raised more than $2 million.

Jacqueline Keeler, a Portland woman who is spokesperson for the Native group, responded to Nike's statement Friday with a written statement saying, "We feel Nike's argument makes no sense because the logical conclusion to it is that they would sell any derogatory mascot if asked to do so no matter how badly it reflects upon their brand."

Keeler's statement also says the Native community in Cleveland "has been outspoken on the issue of Chief Wahoo for 45 years and the opinions of the community have been ignored and no meaningful dialogue has occurred. This despite the National Congress of American Indian's (national organization that represents the majority of Native people in the United States) calls since 1969 to stop the use of Native Mascots, especially Chief Wahoo which is a horrible caricature that dehumanizes Native people."Native Americans Respond to Nike’s Refusal to Stop Selling Chief Wahoo Products

For more on Chief Wahoo, see Natives Demand Nike "De-Chief" and Chief Wahoo Hurts Bottom Line.

Natives demand Nike "de-chief"

Native Americans Demand Nike “#Dechief”–Stop Selling Grotesque “Chief Wahoo” ProductsEradicating Offensive Native Mascotry, a group of Native parents and their allies from across the country are calling on Nike, Inc. to stop selling products that feature the Cleveland Indians’ mascot Chief Wahoo. EONM has launched a Facebook event page “#Dechief Nike Twitterstorm” to trend the Twitter hashtag #Dechief and demand Nike remove the grotesque caricature, Chief Wahoo Nike from its products.

“Dechiefed” hats, jerseys and jackets of Cleveland fans have been featured on social media where photos of team gear with Chief Wahoo removed are posted accompanied by the hashtag #dechiefwahoo.

The groups asks that Nike live up to its dedication to inclusion, “We want it [diversity and inclusion] to drip over everything Nike does!” and follow the Cleveland fans’ lead and “dechief” their own products. It should be noted that even the Cleveland team, itself, has substituted a red letter “C” for Chief Wahoo on its uniforms.

Profiting from Native Mascotry in not being diverse; it is not being inclusive. Selling items, such as a zip-up jacket with the “Chief Wahoo” and the Nike “Swoosh” makes a powerful statement about Nike’s stance, according the leaders of the group.

Native American group asks Nike to stop selling Chief Wahoo gear

By Allan BrettmanThe news release also notes that Nike sells branded merchandise for the Washington, D.C., football team and Florida State University, both of which use Native imagery.

The news release says the group Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry “will be holding local protests at the Nike World Headquarters this week in Beaverton, Oregon and conducting a social media campaign to trend the #Dechief hashtag begun by Cleveland Indians fan Dennis Brown."

The release was written by Jacqueline Keeler of Portland, who in April wrote an article in Salon.com, "My life as a Cleveland Indian: The enduring disgrace of racist sports mascots."

Neither Nike nor the Cleveland Indians responded to requests for comment Monday.

Keeler said in a follow-up email Monday morning that the organization has more than 600 members in a Facebook group. She said the group also has received support from the National Congress of American Indians and from Asian American allies at 18 Million Rising and Hyphen magazine.Comment:  For more on Chief Wahoo, see Chief Wahoo Hurts Bottom Line and 42nd Annual Chief Wahoo Protest.

Marathoner is Nike N7 Ambassador

Navajo Alvina Begay Hopes to Represent U.S. as Olympic MarathonerNavajo long-distance runner and Nike N7 Ambassador Alvina Begay grew up watching her father train for the Olympics. While her mother worked full-time and pursued her bachelor’s degree, Begay and her five siblings would see him blaze the trails over the hills and mesas of their hometown of Ganado, Arizona.

“His golden dreams were to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials,” says Begay.And:On January 14, Begay plans to race against long-distance runners from across the United States in the Marathon Olympic Trials in Houston. The 26.2-mile race will determine the three women who will represent the country in the marathon at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

This isn’t the first time Begay has faced such a challenge. “I did the marathon trials in 2004,” she says, “and I feel like I didn’t run to my full potential.” Some injuries, she explains, “limited my full range of motion.”Comment:  For more on Nike, see Bradford Named Nike N7 Ambassador and Nike Signs Tahnee Robinson.

Nike N7 Sport Summit

Sold-Out Nike N7 Sport Summit Aims to Advance Native Youth Access to SportNike N7, one of the premier initiatives throughout North America encouraging Native and aboriginal youth to be physically active, will host its first annual Nike N7 Sport Summit at The Tiger Woods Center at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, Friday, October 28 to Sunday, October 30. Since its inception in 2000, the N7 Fund has generated more than $1 million to help Native and aboriginal nonprofit groups provide access to sport for young people.

“What inspired the Summit is the N7 Fund Advisory Board wanted to contribute back to the overall vision Nike N7 has related to access to sport,” says Sam McCracken, N7’s general manager and chairman of its board of directors. “They thought, if we can bring the key players together under one roof, we can take a positive step forward in addressing the challenges to access to sport.”

The sold-out conference has attracted approximately 400 grassroots youth recreation leaders, including nonprofit representatives, wellness coordinators, coaches and Native athletes going by the title of Nike N7 Ambassadors. Prominent names include Notah Begah III, a Professional Golf Association tour pro who founded the Notah Begay III Foundation. He will share the beneficial work of his Foundation, which aims to reduce incidences of childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes and promote the leadership development of American Indian youth through sports, health and research programs. Other panelists sharing success stories as a result of access to sport include Lorenzo Neal, retired NFL player for the San Diego Chargers and advisor to Intertribal Sports, a Temecula, California-based program that brings members of Southern California Tribes closer together through sports; Craig Robinson, the head men’s basketball coach at Oregon State University; Waneek Horn-Miller, an ambassador for IndigenACTION (an initiative through the Assembly of First Nations to coordinate a national sport fitness and wellness strategy for aboriginal youth) and the co-captain of Canada’s 2000 Olympic National Water Polo Team; and Kevin Carroll, a prominent author for ESPN/Disney and an National Basketball Association athletic trainer.

Numerous sport program coordinators, coaches and tribal representatives will also attend. “These are the people rolling up their sleeves to go back into their community and leverage sport as a tool for change,” McCracken says. “We also have a dynamic emcee, Kevin Carrroll, who has made a strong commitment” to the N7 initiative, he added.Comment:  For more on Nike, see Echo-Hawk Partners with Nike and Bradford Named Nike N7 Ambassador.

Below:  "Alvina Begay will kick-off the second morning of the Nike N7 Sport Summit on October 29 with a 2-mile walk/run around the Nike campus." (Courtesy of Nike N7)

Echo-Hawk partners with Nike

Oklahoma artist joins NIKE to create Native inspired clothing

By Dana AttocknieEcho-Hawk, Pawnee and Yakama, created a live art painting Aug. 20 at the Nike Factory Store in Oklahoma City. The appearance was to help launch the new Nike N7 shoes and t-shirts that Echo-Hawk designed. The shirts reveal a Native American warrior holding a basketball; the warrior spirit, halted in a strike pose.

“It’s basically a series of paintings that celebrate Native American basketball,” Echo-Hawk said. “The painting that I created, that they based the shirts and the shoes off of, is called ‘triple threat’ … it’s a cool pose for Native people because it shows you have options, you can go places, you basically have control over your own destiny.”And:Sam McCracken, Nike N7 general manager, said he’s excited about the partnership with Echo-Hawk and feels they’ve created something unique.

“The intent of the collection is to raise awareness beyond Native American and Aboriginal communities for the N7 Program and the N7 Fund. This is the first time Nike has collaborated with an artist for the Nike N7 collection and it is the fourth release of product for the Nike N7 collection since it launched in November 2009,” a Nike N7 release stated.Comment:  I posted about Bunky and Nike before in Echo-Hawk's Nike N7 T-Shirt Design. Then it seemed he was doing only one shirt for Nike. Now we learn it's a whole partnership to create a line of shoes and shirts.

For more on the subject, see Echo-Hawk's Art Confronts Stereotypes and Obama Portrait Puts Echo-Hawk on Map.

Below:  "Bunky Echo-Hawk, Pawnee and Yakama, creates a live art painting Aug. 20 at the Nike Factory Store in Oklahoma City." (Randy Attocknie/Native Times)

Echo-Hawk’s Nike N7 t-shirt design

Nike N7 collection featuring designs by Bunky Echo-HawkBunky Echo-Hawk, of the Pawnee Nation in Oklahoma and Yakama Nation in Washington, is a graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts who is focused on fine art, graphic design, photography, creative writing, traditional singing and dancing, community outreach and a unique style of “live art” aimed at merging his traditional values with art for greater purpose.

Echo-Hawk’s design for the Nike N7 collection T-shirts focuses on the traditional native warrior holding a basketball in a strike pose, embodying his belief, and interpretation of Nike N7, that there is a warrior within every athlete. Echo-Hawk portrays the warrior with an eagle feather standing straight up within a roach head dress, and scalp feathers positioned to the side of his head. The warrior is positioned in the basketball triple threat stance, which readies the athlete for any move he or she needs to make next--shoot, pass or dribble. Celestial stars embrace the warrior in the design, providing a connection to the earth. The T-shirts designed by Echo-Hawk are made with organic cotton and will be available in challenge red and dark grey heather for women and challenge red and dark turquoise for men.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Echo-Hawk's Art Confronts Stereotypes and Obama Portrait Puts Echo-Hawk on Map.

Super dunker Kenny Dobbs

The Inspiring Bounce-Back Story of Super Dunker, Kenny Dobbs

By Bryan AbramsKenny Dobbs can fly. When he jumps with a basketball either in his hand or in his sights (many of his dunks have him chasing a ball in midair), he appears to be floating. He has mastered this ability after years of intense training, dissecting the physics and physiology of dunking with the focus of an artist—or a madman. After years of physical, mental and spiritual training, Dobbs is arguably the greatest dunker in the world, perhaps one of the greatest ever. His vertical leap is 48 inches, as good or better than NBA dunk champions Michael Jordan, Spud Webb and Vince Carter in their primes. He has traveled the world showcasing his talents, from south Florida to South America, from Rome to Romania as a celebrity dunker for both the NBA and Sprite. He displayed his dunking abilities at this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend, and was asked to be a featured talent in the biggest-selling basketball video game on the planet, NBA 2K12. This past May, he beat two of the best dunkers in the world by wowing judges at the Ball Up’s Air Up There Slam Dunk Contest in Los Angeles. One of those judges was 1992 NBA dunk champion Cedric Ceballos. Another was a doctor by the name of Julius Erving.

Kenny Dobbs can also change lives. He has traveled across the country to speak to and on behalf of kids on reservations as an employee of the Division of Behavioral Health Services for the state of Arizona. For three years he served as the chairman on the Arizona State Youth Advisory Council for Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention. He is currently serving as an ambassador’s for Nike’s N7 division and the Native American Basketball Invitational (NABI) Foundation. With NABI, Dobbs created the UpRise Youth Motivational Presentations to educate kids on Native lands. He knows that if you want to grab a kid’s attention, flying is a good way to do it.

Kenny Dobbs, member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Phoenix resident, proud son, brother, father and husband, is 27 years old. And he is lucky to be alive.Comment:  For more on Native basketball stars, see Nike Signs Tahnee Robinson and "Superstar" Native Basketball Player.

Below:  "Dobbs was headed down a very bad road until he lifted himself up by dunking a basketball. Now he’s trying to raise up Native youths around the world."

Bradford named Nike N7 Ambassador

Nike Announces Sam Bradford as Nike N7 AmbassadorNike just announced that St. Louis Rams Quarterback Sam Bradford is joining the company as a Nike N7 ambassador. The athletic apparel company launched its N7 campaign targeted at American Indians in 2007. “Inspired by Native American wisdom of Seven Generations,” according to the N7 Facebook page, the N7 brand is Nike’s “commitment to bring sport and all of its benefits to Native American and Aboriginal communities in the USA and Canada.” Through purchases of N7 products, Nike supports the N7 Fund, which provides Native and Aboriginal communities with grants to fund sports and physical fitness programs.

Nike shared the news and Bradford’s new role in Washington, DC, on April 27, when Bradford joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to encourage American Indian youth to eat healthy and stay active.

Bradford, an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, planted heirloom American Indian crops and indigenous vegetables in a garden, called The Roots of American Agriculture, with more than 30 American Indian students and USDA officials on April 27. Practicing traditional native planting techniques, they celebrated the enormous contributions American Indians have made to the foods eaten regularly across the country and globe. The garden is part of the USDA’s People’s Garden Initiative, which promotes the establishment of school and community gardens.Agriculture Secretary Vilsack, NFL Quarterback Sam Bradford Urge Native American Youth to Get ActiveAgriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack welcomed St. Louis Rams Quarterback Sam Bradford to the Agriculture Department today and joined him in urging Native American youth to spend the summer pursuing healthy outdoor activities. Bradford, an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, participated with over 30 Native American students at USDA's People's Garden in planting a Native American garden, called The Roots of American Agriculture.

"Through programs like 'Fuel Up to Play 60' and Let's Move!, the Obama administration is helping get kids active in order to help them have a healthy future," said Vilsack. "Our partners at the NFL and across the country are key to engaging kids in an exciting way that teaches them that physical activity can be fun, while also important to their health."

Bradford and Vilsack noted that a recent study of four year-old children found that obesity is more than twice as common among American Indian/Alaska Native children than among white or Asian children. In 2002, nearly 15 percent of those receiving care from the United States Indian Health Service (IHS) were estimated to have diabetes.Comment:  I criticized Bradford before for not helping his Native brethren. For not even acknowledging them. But now he's put himself into the game, to use a sports metaphor. He's walking the walk as well as talking the talk.

For more on the subject, see Bradford Promotes Healthy Lifestyles.

Nike signs Tahnee Robinson

A column explains a subtle point in the WNBA's drafting of Tahnee Robinson:

Biggest Little Sports Column:  Tahnee + Nike + N7 = #Winning

By Dan HinxmanGive Nike credit: The apparel giant understands marketing.

Third-round WNBA draft picks don't get sponsorship deals. Nevada's Tahnee Robinson was a third-round pick on Monday by the Phoenix Mercury, which then traded her to the Connecticut Sun.

She was the first WNBA draftee in Wolf Pack history, but that's not why Nike signed her to a two-year contract soon afterward.

No, this marriage is all about timing.

Nike launched the N7 campaign in 2007. N7, according to its website, is Nike's "commitment to bring sport and all of its benefits to Native American and Aboriginal communities in the USA and Canada."

You'd be hard-pressed to find a marketing campaign that is as noble as N7. And that's more than just a little important to Robinson, who could be found signing endless autographs and posing for photos at the Wolf Pack's Native American Day games the last two seasons.

As Robinson's status as one of the top players in women's college basketball has grown, so, too, has her responsibility. And it's one she takes on fully and with a great deal of pride.

As the first full-blooded Native American to be drafted by a WNBA team, Robinson can take that responsibility to a national audience. And Nike will be riding shotgun.

"They're definitely going to use me to reach out as much as possible, being the first Native American drafted and the first from Nevada," Robinson said Tuesday. "... without Nike, there's no way my story can be heard. I hope to promote N7 more and reach out to as many people as possible."

It's fitting, too, and no coincidence that Robinson ended up with the Sun. The franchise is owned by the Mohegan Sun casino, which is owned by the Mohegan tribe. Nike isn't the only one that understands marketing.

Robinson still must go through training camp and fight for a roster spot. It's no given she'll make the team, but the combination of landing with the Sun and partnering with N7 gives her a foot in the door.Comment:  For more on the Nike connection, see Oregon State's Nike N7 Game and Nike to Promote Native Health.

Oregon State's Nike N7 game

Oregon State men's basketball team will honor Native American culture with N7 game on Sunday, Nov. 21

By Lindsay SchnellThere's the Coaches vs. Cancer, the "pink outs" for women's teams across the country and now at Oregon State, we've got the men's basketball teams wearing turquoise uniforms.

The Beavers will debut their new gear--and shoes--this Sunday, Nov. 21 when they play Texas Southern in the Nike N7 game at Gill Coliseum.

N7 is the division of Nike devoted to helping Native American communities get better access to sport. It's been around for almost 10 years, but this will be the first game of its kind, and N7 director Sam McCracken said that a lot of the credit goes to coach Craig Robinson.

Robinson started to learn a lot about Native American culture and the community when he was recruiting Joe Burton, a sophomore who is part of the Soboba Tribe. Since he arrived at Oregon State three seasons ago Robinson has been looking for OSU to support a special community cause, and N7 allowed the Beavers to do that.

"I didn't know much about Native Americans until I started recruiting Joe," Robinson said. "Joe is the type of person that people want to follow and I saw it firsthand when I recruited him and was taken out to the reservation.

"The one thing that rang true is that in the Native American culture, sport plays a very big part there and it's important on different levels. You see older folks play softball, you see young kids playing basketball. To be able to do something that helps bring sport and bring access to sport to kids all around the country, it's really a pleasure to be a part of."

Last year, N7 helped funded more than 18 Native American programs around the country and donated more than $350,000 in grants to help kids gain access to sport. It's also worth noting that former OSU baseball star Jacoby Ellsbury (who grew up in Madras and is of Navajo decent) and gymnast D'Anna Piro are both heavily involved with N7.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Nike to Promote Native Health and Nike Shoes Aid Native Youth Sports.

Below:  "Oregon State will wear new turquoise uniforms and special shoes this Sunday when they play Texas Southern in the first ever Nike N7 game."

Nike to promote Native health

BIA signs agreement with Nike to promote healthy lifestylesThe Bureau of Indian Affairs signed an agreement with Nike to promote healthy lifestyles in Indian Country.

Under the agreement, the Bureau of Indian Education and Nike will develop a campaign to encourage American Indians and Alaska Natives to exercise. "This MOU is one important step towards acknowledging the collaboration needed across Indian Country to help promote healthy lifestyles," Assistant Secretary Larry Echo Hawk said.

"We celebrate this signing as a milestone in our work to deepen connections with Native American communities around creating opportunities for health and wellness, and providing access to sport for young people," said Craig Cheek, Nike North America Vice President and General Manager.

Nike is one of the few corporations with a special Native American program. The N7 program provides grants for sports and physical fitness programs in Indian Country.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Nike Shoes Aid Native Youth Sports, Nike Goes Beyond the Surface, and Nike Unveils Native Shoe.

Nike shoes aid Native youth sports

Nike Introduces N7 Collection

Profits from the Collection Help Support Access to Youth Sport in Native American CommunitiesThis weekend Nike (NYSE:NKE) will debut the Nike N7 Collection, a select range of performance footwear designed with the environment and the future of Native American communities in mind. The N7 Collection will be sold exclusively through 33 Nike Factory Stores in the U.S. and via www.nike.com, with a portion of the profits going to the N7 Fund, which supports youth sport in Native American communities.

"For more than 10 years Nike has worked closely with Native American communities to provide support through product innovations specific to the needs of Native Americans and by providing grants to support sport programs through the N7 Fund," said Sam McCracken, General Manager of Nike's Native American Business. "With the introduction of the N7 Collection, consumers now have the ability to be their own agents of change, as the profits from their purchase will help young people in Native American communities realize their potential through sport."

The N7 Collection was created through the lens of Considered Design where products are engineered for higher performance and lower environmental impact.

The N7 Collection features the N7 Air Pegasus+ 26, the N7 Huarache, as well as the N7 SMS RT for preschool and toddler sizes.Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Nike Shoe Research and Nike Shoe Is Racist?

Below:  "The new Nike N7 Air Pegasus+ 26 was created through the lens of Considered Design where products are engineered for higher performance and lower environmental impact, as well as designed with Native American inspired details and graphics that tie the shoe back to the N7 Collection." (Photo: Business Wire)

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.