The Skeena
For the first time in two years, the All Native Basketball Tournament will be running at full capacity.
One Vancouver-based team wanted to go so badly they threw an Indigenous fashion fundraiser.
APTN News was on the scene, reporting on “a night of glamour for a basketball team with big dreams,” in this must-watch broadcast uploaded to YouTube.
The basketball team is called AMR, short for “All My Relations,” and it’s been around for 19 years.
“Our team consists of ten young Aboriginal women from various nations and backgrounds ranging in age from 17 to 40 years. Many of us are single mothers, post-secondary students and all committed advocates for sports and healthy living,” its Facebook page explains.
The coach of the team is Himikalas Pam Baker, who also happens to be a Squamish Nation fashion designer. It was her designs in the fashion show.
“We’re doing the fundraiser showcasing my clothing line,” she told APTN News.
“It costs a lot to travel with a large team,” one player explained.
It’s worth it though, because with COVID restrictions now lifted, this year’s tournament in Prince Rupert is set to be epic.
“Typically, the event sees more than 5,000 fans in attendance per day, with hotels and accommodations filling up early in the city,” the Northern View reports. “More than 50 teams have already registered for the week-long tournament from across the province and Alaska.”
