As we know Kyrie Irving is known for his amazing and fast handles on court. He is a professional basketball player and played for teams such as Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, and Dallas Mavericks. Kyrie has come out in shoes, starred on a movie called Uncle Drew, and done so much more.
The Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation is home to the Dakota and Lakota people of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. It’s the sixth largest Native American reservation in the US, covering parts of the North and South Dakota. The people of Standing Rock are often called Sioux and are members of the Dakota and Lakota nations.
Irving’s mother, Elizabeth Ann Larson, was a part of the Sioux Tribe which is located in the Midwest and the land of Sitting Bull. Elizabeth passed when Kyrie was four and now Kyrie and his sister has participated in events for the tribe. In front of the nation which had more than 1,000 members he was given his Sioux name “Hela”-Little Mountain.
Kyrie has made it known for years about his connection and support towards the indigenous tribe. He offered solidarity in the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline, which is an underground oil pipeline that stretches from North Dakota to South Dakota. Kyrie has also given the tribe more than $100,000 and he has a tattoo on the back of his neck of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal logo
Kyrie’s native name, Hela-Little Mountain, is very deep then people might think, the Standing Rock Sioux tribe has come out with a statement “The Family Connection of Kyrie Irving comes from the White Mountain Family (also known as Mountain) … Kyrie’s grandmother is the late, Meredith Marie Mountains, who is a tribal member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. Kyrie’s great-grandfather is Moses Mountain, and great-grandmother is Edith Morisette-Mountain.”
Kyrie comes out shoes with native American inspiration such as the moccasins, involving films, and walking around with a feather on his head, just shows how much he supports the Native Americans. He also spoke out at on Indigenous struggles and issues. At one of the ceremony Kyrie spoke to the tribe “This is me finally meeting my mom’s family. Now that I’m with you guys forever. I hope you guys don’t mind that because I don’t mind that either.”
November 22, 2019, Nike released the Kyrie 6 Sneaker Room Mom Red, it was collab with the sneaker boutique and to pay respect for Kyrie’s late mother Elizabeth Ann Larson.
Most people don’t know but because of the boarding school that affected the Native American people, every adult knew what was going on in the schools, once they were in, they were never coming out. The best thing the US tried to help is adoption. Most white families would come and adopt the kids from the parents to “have a good life.” It was common and sad that adoption after the kids were born to be given away. A year after Kyrie’s mother was born, more than 16 percent higher than the national average of indigenous kids were already adopted by white family across the Indian Country.
Growing up on the reservation, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, I remember playing basketball with other kids or my cousins, the only athletes we would call out before taking a shot would be “Curry” “Kyrie” Jordan” and sometimes “Lebron”. Almost every native kid’s dream is to play sports and to meet their favorite player. I remember getting my first shoe with my own money, it was the Kyrie Flytrap 3’s Black and Red. Coming from a native kid and a girl, Kyrie was known all around the Indian Country before he even knew it. Ever since he came out as Sioux, that just gave him love even more. Kyrie will always be known, loved, and supportive by the Native Americans.