Honoring Native history on the hardwood

Arts & Sciences

Honoring Native history on the hardwood

A new warmup look for the Marquette men's basketball team will pay homage to Native American heritage

Marquette men's basketball fans are in for a surprise at the end of the month as their favorite teammates take the court in a special warmup shirt on Nov. 30 at Fiserv Forum.

As part of Nike's N7 initiative honoring Native traditions and raising funds for Indigenous youth sports, the Golden Eagles will wear t-shirts designed by Marquette alumna Danielle Barrett, Arts '24, with the help of Alexandra Gambacorta, Arts '18, Educational Preparedness Program instructor. Barrett found inspiration from her tribal heritage, which includes vibrant ribbon shirts and skirts, her tribal flag and the intricate beadwork found in fancy dance regalia - the same worn by her father when performed as a child.

"Ribbon shirts and skirts are not just garments - they are powerful expressions of our culture, important for preserving the traditions of Native people," Barrett says. "In this design, the three stripes at the top honor the ribbon shirt, while those at the bottom honor the ribbon skirt, together weaving a narrative of identity, pride and connection to our heritage. The triangles serve as a prominent feature in the whole design, reflecting the geometric beauty often found in my tribe's beadwork, including regalia. They also pay homage to the seven-pointed star on my tribal flag, breaking up the star into triangles. Additionally, the number seven is woven throughout the design, representing not just the star but also other traditions and stories that bring us together."

Barrett is an enrolled member of the Long Hair Clan in the Eastern Band Cherokee tribe. She says the triangles on the back of the shirt form an abstract braid, a heartfelt tribute to her culture and Native identity.

"They honor my clan, who have traditionally worn their hair long," Barrett says. "The braid is also in remembrance of the children who were painfully forced to cut theirs in boarding schools - a painful chapter for Indigenous people we must never forget. Lastly, the braid pays respect to the deep cultural significance braids hold for our people. Each triangle of the braid represents a generation, reflecting the seven generations principle, a reminder of our responsibility to the past and the future. The arrows pointing out and away from the logo on the front are a connection to the four directions, north, south, east and west."

The outward arrows are symbolic of past and future alumni going out into the world to Be The Difference. The arrows pointing back pay respect to all that Marquette did for Barrett as a student and now as an alumna.

Dr. Jacqueline Schram, director of public affairs and special assistant for Native American affairs, says that this project brings to the light that Native cultural identity is both separate and part of the fabric of Marquette.

"Danielle employed her cultural iconography in the design as a way to describe her experience here and beyond Marquette," Schram explains. "There will be many Native students who will connect to the visual story and the feeling that representation is a matter of the heart, mind and spirit. The project dovetails beautifully with the N7 platform in this respect because of the focus on youth health and wellness. And isn't that what we want for our students - to thrive."

Recognizing that the t-shirt debuts during Native American Heritage Month, Schram says the spirit of Indigenous peoples is generous and unrelenting.

"The ongoing contributions to our world are immense," Schram says. "Native American Heritage Month is an opportunity to stand in celebration of a resilient heritage of lifeways, languages and cultural knowledges that will continue to enrich the world around us."

The shirts will be available to purchase on Nov. 1 at the Marquette Spirit Shop in the Alumni Memorial Union.

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