The special, that aired on November 16th, started off with a quick overview, while mentioning a lot of athletes, past and present. They mentioned the likes of:  Sonny Sixkiller (Past Quarterback for University of Washington Huskies), Charles "Chief" Bender (Baseball Hall of Famer), Allie Reynolds (Yankee who pitched 2 No-Hitters in '51), Billy Mills (Gold medal winner for long-distance running in '64 Olympics), Jim Thorpe, and Notah Begaye.

AFter a commercial break, they go into Phil Jackson, and his use of Lakota Souix teachings and beliefs in his coaching style with the Chicago Bulls.

It mentioned that during their 1st title run, the team watched Game films intercut with the movie, "Mystic Warrior." They had some quotes from former players about what they thought of his, "odd," style of coaching. Many didn't accept, or suppourt it at first, but after Micheal Jordan started accepting it, others followed suit.

His fascination of Lakotas began as a child in Montana. He said during "cowboys & indians" he usually had the bow & arrow. He's held Basketball Camps in Pine Ridge, South Dakota since '73. He's gotten a Lakota name that translates into, "Swift Eagle."

Now that he's coaching in L.A., he doesn't know if he'll bring in the Lakota ways in his coaching style. He states that L.A. is the home of the Crips & Bloods. They're Gangs, and gangs are Tribalistic (somewhat).

The next segmant starts out with referencing Ryneldi Benceti. She's the first Navajo to start on a Division 1 College basketball team. She started for Arizona State University from '91-'93. She played for the U.S. Women's Basketball team, and won a Bronze Medal in the World University's Games. She's played professionally overseas, in Europe, and in the states (1 year for the Mercury in the WNBA).

Her Cousin is Michelle Tom, who is currently Playing for ASU? Last year she led the PAC-10 in 3 Point shooting.

They both hope to show native youth that there are options to leaving the rez, and you can be successfull too.

Last year, at Box Elder, Montana's High School, she averaged 24 pts. a game, and led them to a State 'C' Championship. University of Montana offered her a basketball scholarship after she completes her freshman year at college. That stipulation only occured, because she was seen as a "High Risk Situation." High risk because they see natives not really staying in school, if they have to leave the rez.

There are many factors that play into natives not wanting to leave the rez. Some start to call those leaving, "apples." Negativity inflicted on someone trying to better for themselves. In Leann's case, she has a daughter, Dominique. Leann's Biggest problems, she sees, are keeping up with school work, and missing her daughter.

Some Teammates were interviewed, shortly. They talked about seeing most natives as "Wild," and, "Rowdy." One girl specifically mentioned Browning. She said they were pretty wild around there, and they had to have security escort them out after they played there. They also had a change of heart after seeing that Leann is quiet and nice, so they couldn't call all natives wild, and rowdy.

The next segmant covered Non-Natives working to help improve the conditions of Reservations. They mentioned that Kareem-Abdul Jabbar volunteers as an assistant coach on the Apache rez, in Arizona. Since '96 Jeff Loggerman(?) (former NFL Player) holds football camps on the Navajo Nation Rez.

This segmant covers more of Steve Young though. He travels to various reservations and made speeches, and impromptu Football Games. Now he sits on the Board of American Indian Services. They want to help set up some Jr. Colleges on reservations to make post-high school education more accessible to natives, so they don't have to leave the rez. They also help fund some Scholarships too. Steve Young went from supporter of natives, to an activist.

The next Segmant went into Native Americans' views about the use of Native Names and images in Mascots, Logos, and Names. I won't really get into that, but did find one fact rather intrigueing. The Cleveland Indians claim that they took on that name in 1915 to honor the first full-blooded native to play professional baseball, Louis Francis Sock Alexis (not sure on spelling). But research by Ellen Staurowsky found that the teams name originates in 1897 by Sports' Writers. They came up with the name, with no intention of honoring Louis at all.

A lot of the native players in the NHL are often seen as enforcers. Tough, rowdy, and wild. Because of this, Jr. level coaches look at natives for their toughness and try to teach them how to be goons. The Aboriginal's Role Model Hockey School is trying to bring the finesse part of hockey to kids. On reserves, competition isnt' that great compared to other areas playing hockey. Reserves don't have the facilities, coaches, ect.... to play "real" competitive hockey. One of the professional players comented that he may have been a good player, scorer, on the reserve, but it wasn't that way off the reserve. I think it was Odjick and he hopes that his kids, and other kids won't have to be looked at as tough to make it to the NHL. Instead, scouts will look at Native Kids for their finesse and skills, rather than tough, enforcers.

Lacrosse was the focus of the next segmant. The true age of Lacrosse in unknown. Native were playing it, before it was documented back in the 1600's. White Canadians adopted Lacrosse in Montreal. They formalized a list of rules in 1867, one of which, prohibited natives from playing on any Canadian Team.

So, natives formed their own teams. They started charging appearance fees to cover traveling expenses. For doing so, they were looked at as professionals, and banned from international competition in 1890. In 1987, the international Lacrosse Federation recognized the Iroqious National Lacrosse Team. The iroqious team is the only national team to play in international competition made entirely of natives.

The final Segmant covers Jim Thorpe. It showed some pictures of Jim that I never seen before. Mainly, him wearing a headdress and bucksking at the later years of his life. He had on a look that's typical of most natives in pictures. Chin up, proud (almost defiant), and squinting eyes. I thought it was strange of them to show those photos. I could go into more about Jim and his achievements, but it should seem that he would already be known about throughout native country.

I'll Close up with this quote from Bill Lee