By Nate Bisson
64 tribes from across the country competed in this year’s 5th annual Battle of the Nations basketball tournament located in Spokane, Washington. On April 4th, teams met at Spokane Casino for mandatory check-ins, followed by a grand entry ceremony and live drawing for game times.
The grand entry started with an honoring of flags by Indigenous Veterans, followed by songs and dances as all tribes were introduced and welcomed onto the floor.
This basketball tournament is very unique in that Tribal members can only play with the tribe they are enrolled in. Tribal IDs are verified at check ins on the first day. The tournament director and creator is Spokane tribal member Jerry Ford Redbone.
On April 5th, Muckleshoot faced off against Skokomish in the first round and won by more than 20 points. Next, we battled against Blackfeet Nation and won by 20 as well.
On April 6th, we fought hard against Lapwai Nation, but came up short losing by 10. Lapwai ended up finishing 4th place in the tournament. Our final game was also on April 6th, we played a very tough Coeur d’Alene Tribal team and lost.
Out of 64 Tribal Nations, Muckleshoot finished in the top 16 teams in the country. We’re hoping to return next year and improve our ranking.
WINNERS:
MUCKLESHOOT TEAM ROSTER:
Ten years after signing the Elliott Bay Seawall Memorandum of Agreement, the city and Muckleshoot Tribe have agreed on a building for a Tribal center, located directly across the street from the Seattle Aquarium and the new Waterfront Park.
Fighting brings Shane White Eagle closer to his culture and helped him grow into a leader. He exemplifies the warrior spirit and represents his family, his team, and the Muckleshoot Tribe. Hear from Shane, in his own words.
Mountain to Sound has garnered national recognition and is fully funded through grants. Mountain to Sound is the first and only classroom on federal land in the entire country and is a world class, land-based program in which MTS ...
The Seattle Mariners and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe unveiled the revamped Diamond Club, a premium dining and seating area behind home plate at T-Mobile Park on Wednesday, March 29.
The Muckleshoot Messenger is a Tribal publication created by the Muckleshoot Office of Media Services. Tribal community members and Tribal employees are welcome to submit items to the newspaper such as news, calendar items, photos, poems, and artwork.
Official Government Website for the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe
© Muckleshoot Indian Tribe 2025
