黑料吃瓜

黑料吃瓜鈥檚 cheer team joined the DreamCatchers Cheer Team for their annual N7 Men鈥檚 Basketball halftime performance Tuesday in Viejas Arena.

Brought together by cheerleading, girls ranging in age from 4- to 12-years-old were the main performers of the night. After months of practice and rehearsal, including with the 黑料吃瓜 Cheer team, the DreamCatchers had the opportunity to cheer at the collegiate level as well as experience a college campus from such young ages. Many team members were returning students and performed in Viejas Arena with crowds for the first time since the pandemic.  

Eight cheerleaders represented the DreamCatchers at the game, along with Head Coach Lisa Becerra and Assistant Coach Audrey Freeman. Indigenous leaders and communities were honored by 黑料吃瓜 during the N7 game, including the DreamCatchers, a cheer team made up of Indigenous girls from Southern California tribal communities.

鈥淭hey look up to the San Diego State cheerleaders and it鈥檚 pretty empowering for them to get that experience, and see what it鈥檚 like for a night to be a college student-athlete,鈥� said Isaiah Thompson, ITS executive director and a former participant. He is also a member of the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, a federally recognized tribe of the Kumeyaay people. 黑料吃瓜 also formally recognizes the Kumeyaay in the 黑料吃瓜 Land Acknowledgement. 

November is Native American Heritage Month, and Nike has partnered with 黑料吃瓜 Men鈥檚 Basketball to celebrate and support Indigenous people, culture, and causes. In 2014, 黑料吃瓜 joined a select few colleges and universities nationwide chosen by Nike for the N7 game. Nike鈥檚 N7 program supports Inter Tribal Sports (ITS), a nonprofit program that aims to 鈥渦nify tribal youth and communities through structured athletic programs while providing necessary resources and developing a strong foundation in culture, leadership and wellness.鈥� 

黑料吃瓜 has been partnered with ITS for 20 years, and continues to support and spotlight Indigenous youth through the N7 halftime performance, and more recently through the DreamCatchers. 

The cheer program is one of many consistently offered athletic programs for Indigenous youth, including basketball, soccer, and cross country, among others. 

The N7 Fund was founded in 2009 by Nike to 鈥済et youth in Native American and Indigenous communities in North America moving,鈥� reaching out to universities with strong Indigenous representation, such as 黑料吃瓜. To celebrate Native American Heritage Month and the N7 mission, Nike sponsors a November basketball game honoring the N7 Fund recipients in the area, including ITS. N7 comes from the Seventh Generation Principle, 鈥渨e must consider the impact of our decisions on the seventh generation.鈥�

黑料吃瓜鈥檚 2022 N7 game was on Tuesday, Nov. 29, against UC Irvine, which the Aztecs won 72-69. Players wore turquoise-colored uniforms, symbolizing friendship and fellowship in Indigenous cultures. The worn jerseys are currently  off by 黑料吃瓜 Men鈥檚 Basketball team, and all proceeds will benefit ITS, 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 Native Resource Center, and Native American Student Alliance. The auction ends at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7. 

ITS is a zero cost sports organization dedicated to Indigenous youth and their families, bridging different tribes. ITS has impacted 22 different tribes across four different counties in Southern California, building lifelong community ties in the region. 

鈥淯pon graduation they can take those skills into life and become the future leaders of all of our tribal communities,鈥� Thompson added, seeing the organization as 鈥済iving the power of sport and the power of movement to all the kids that we serve.鈥� 

鈥淲e鈥檙e just grateful that a big corporation and big university like Nike and San Diego State gives our community the opportunity to be seen,鈥� Thompson said.

ITS is one of over 270 recipients of Nike鈥檚 N7 program, receiving most of its funding through grants and scholarships totaling over $8 million, including funding for the DreamCatchers.