El Reno girls basketball team honors Native American heritage with special jerseys

By Dacoda Wahpekeche

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    EL RENO, Oklahoma (KOCO) — An Oklahoma basketball team partnered with the Cheyenne and Arapaho leaders to honor Native American heritage on the court.

Fans attending El Reno High School’s basketball game on Friday will see something that isn’t common in high school athletics. The women’s basketball team will be wearing new Nike N-7 jerseys — something the team has been trying to get for five years.

“Our girls just love the fact that they get to show off their culture and they honor their culture. It shows that somebody represents them, and it shows that everybody can see them,” said head coach Jennifer Douglas.

The N-7 jerseys aren’t new to Oklahoma. Oklahoma State University and other college teams have turquoise jerseys representing the Native American tribes in Oklahoma. However, it wasn’t easy for the high school to get.

But two Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal legislators took on the costs of the jerseys. Almost every girl on the team is of Native descent.

“Our children are our future, so we’re investing in them. We’re proud of them because of all the work they put in,” said Kendrick Sleepers, Arapaho District 2 legislator.

“I’ve also been a big supporter of El Reno girls’ basketball, so it’s been like a big honor to help out with these new jerseys to show our pride within our community,” said George Woods, Cheyenne District 2 legislator.

Friday will be the team’s first game of the year, and it will be deemed Native American Heritage Night.

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