I have been pretty dialed in to Standing Rock because I try to share as much as I can about it on our County Dems FB. Being in WI and somewhat close by maybe we have a little more news about it, I don’t know. Yesterday quite a few people I’m FB friends with, some who I would consider ‘political’ and some not at all, shared this article so I decided to read it. I’m always a little ambivalent about athletes as role models...because being from a small town I don’t like the focus that surrounds kids who are ballers from a young age and they way they are revered versus, say, a kid who is excellent at something academic or musical or whatever. However, my husband is an intense sports fan and he works in our community to give as much access to public rec activities for area kids because he believes in the value of them for confidence, health, teamwork, community, personal sacrifice, etc. so I’m also a believer in the way they can help shape our culture in some positive ways. Our kids and kids all over WI look up to Bronson and his teammates. It is a great article and worth reading the whole thing.
What I Found In Standing Rock
In basketball, you strive to anticipate what’s going to happen next. Running through drills out there on the dirt and the prairie grass, my eyes kept wandering to the horizon — to the hills just a mile north where the bulldozers were. I’d never played basketball surrounded by police and blockades.
Now it’s December, too cold for kids to play on the outdoor hoop. There’s a foot of snow covering the Standing Rock camp, and the North Dakota governor is calling for the eviction of the protesters. Many Natives fear that critical supplies for survival, like firewood and food, will be blocked. This has the potential to be a traumatic replay of so much of our history.
I’m seeing reports that police have used high-pressure water cannons on protesters — men, women and children. In the subfreezing North Dakota winter, that’s a potentially deadly combination.
As we head toward the middle of our season, I can’t help but think about the cruel irony that water is being used as a weapon against Native Americans who are trying to protect their own water supply.
There was also another article about Koenig and his team mates in the NYT recently, Inside College Basketball’s Most Political Locker Room.