
According to an article found on Native News Online we had significant ties to Superbowl LVII. Prior to the Superbowl in Glendale, Arizona there was art, dances, and other Native American culture on display.
Indigenous artist Lucinda “La Morena” Hinojos (Xicana, Apache, Yaqui) created the official artwork for the 60,000 Super Bowl LVII tickets, as well as around the stadium, and on the game ball itself. She is the first Native artist to be selected by the NFL, and her artwork incorporated many elements from the Akimel O’Odham’s heritage.
The NFL also commissioned Hinojos to complete a 9,500-square-foot mural – the largest in Super Bowl history – with the help of other Indigenous artists for the Monarch Theatre in downtown Phoenix. The mural's emphasis was on community, and unity. For the first time in history, the NFL planned to read a land acknowledgment before the Super Bowl after Hinojos introduced this idea.
Other Indigenous ties to Superbowl LVII: Collin Denny (Diné), represented the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) community when he blended American Sign Language and North American Indian Sign Language in a performance of “America the Beautiful” during a pre-game ceremony.
Prior to the the game a Protest Rally Against Native Mascots was held in support of getting the Kansas City football team to change its name and imagery. The idea of the Kansas City Chiefs, which was conceived by a white man who impersonated Native American culture. Native nonprofit Illuminative collected nearly 17,000 signatures on an online petition.
There were at least three Native Americans on the field during the game mentioned in this article. Kansas City Chiefs long snapper and Choctaw Nation citizen James Winchester. Kansas City Chiefs Center and Potawatomi Nation citizen Creed Humphrey. As well as, Cherokee Nation citizen Jerod Phillips, a down-judge official for the game. Phillips is the second Native American ever to officiate the Super Bowl, behind Chickasaw Nation citizen Mike Weatherford at Super Bowl XLV in 2011.
Off the field there were various tribal nations and communities positively impacted by Superbowl LVII. To read the full article please follow the link below:
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