VERMILLION, S.D. - On Saturday, November 1, the University of South Dakota will celebrate the Native Heritage Day football game as the Coyotes host the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks in the DakotaDome. In collaboration with USD's Native Student Services, the football team will wear custom helmet decals designed by Sadie Red Wing (Spirit Lake Dakota).

The helmet will feature the word Sungmanitu, which is Lakota for Coyote, as well as a design along the top that represents the Oceti Sakowin, more commonly known as the Seven Council Fires. The Seven Council Fires includes the 9 tribal nations in South Dakota. Red Wing, whose mother is a USD alumni, shared her inspiration for the design as a former Lakota legend story that is featured in the Everyday Lakota dictionary. Every element that was incorporated into the design has meaning, centering traditional elements that Red Wing expresses are representative of all Oceti Sakowin people, as a celebration of their abundance and strength. 

"I wanted to use a familiar symbol that embodies all the Seven Council Fires and resonates visually with the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota communities. Its design effectively conveys the essence of belonging to a tribe or nation, emphasizing balance, abundance and strength- values that mirror the pride the football players experience when they are part of a team and operate as a cohesive unit," said Red Wing. "When I think of football players rushing onto the field, I picture buffalo moving as their hooves hit the grass and stir the prairie soil. I used traditional buffalo track symbols, or reflected triangle shapes, along the helmet's crown to represent the players running onto the turf."

USD Native Student Services consulted Jerome Kills Small (Oglala Lakota) to lead the translation and cultural context behind translating the word Coyote into the Lakota language. Kills Small graduated from USD in 1994 before serving as the Lakota language instructor for 21 years. "I am a linguist," Kills Small stated. "So, I (can) tell that it really means more than just Coyote…(T)he deep structure is Sunka Manitu, Manitu is the wilderness and Sunka is dog.". Kills Small referenced the importance of the Coyote in Lakota storytelling and history. "Sungmanitu, in our folktales, sometimes he becomes a trickster," Kills Small stated. "He tricks people into being in agreement with them. The Sungmanitu, or the Coyote, was the one that caused the people to come out of Wind Cave in the Lakota origin stories, at least in one version." 

Kills Small emphasized the richness of the Lakota language and difficulty of translating words to English. The word for water in Lakota is mni, which according to Kills Small, translates to "my life" and emphasizes the need for water for human beings to survive. "Sungmanitu gives a similar power to that of Coyote, which means 'Wilderness Dog.' You can be wild in the field. Be strong, run fast, and be a trickster. Zig zag and jump over the tackler. Whatever it takes [to win]. That's what I envision," said Kills Small. John Little (Standing Rock), director of Native Recruitment & Alumni Engagement, highlighted the importance of Native representation at the USD game. "USD has had more than 1,500 Native students graduate from its campus and has a rich legacy of Native programming, initiatives, and history on campus. Being able to use Lakota language on the helmets as well as feature the tribal nation's flags continues that legacy. It also allows students, current and future, to see themselves and their tribal nations represented in a very unique way. I hope other institutions see this and continue this trend in the future." 

Kainen White (Cherokee), a USD defensive tackle, expressed his excitement for wearing the helmet and emphasized the fact that he'll be able to wear the Cherokee Nation Flag on his helmet. White stated, "It's very important to have those types of features on top of the helmet. The flags represent where you come from, who you are, and what culture and background you come from. It shows the history behind the helmet." White understands that his teammates, and maybe even fans, might not know the full or deep meaning behind the helmet but hoped that it would encourage them to learn more about it. "Just wearing it shows that we represent something and the way in which we are representing for people to understand is great." When asked how he'll feel walking down the tunnel with his helmet on, White stated, "I'm just going to be very happy. I think it's awesome that we are doing this. The colors—it's just a beautiful helmet. I love looking at it." White hopes that he'll remember the day for the USD victory but also hopes that many future Native athletes will be inspired to keep pursuing athletics and higher education.

Matayah YellowMule (Oglala Lakota), a senior on the USD Track & Field Team, also echoes her excitement for seeing the helmet release. "When I first saw the Native American Heritage Day helmet, I was very proud to be a student and athlete at USD," YellowMule stated. "It just represents that they are willing to honor our tribes of South Dakota and bring representation to them. Knowing that every part of the helmet carries meaning just represents how much intention was put into creating the helmet, especially with the individuals who helped curate the design and then the translation. The intentionality goes to show the effort and the care for this. This is such a huge step for Native people in general—the Nakota, Lakota, and Dakota—this is such a huge step to have this type of representation as such a huge stage." When asked how she hoped Native fans and high school students might view the helmet, "I hope they feel a lot of pride. I definitely feel a lot of pride knowing that I am able to go to USD and they are celebrating Native Heritage. I hope this game plants a seed in their hearts and helps them go forward in whatever ambitions and dreams that they have for themselves. I hope that this shows them that they belong in spaces like these and that they are capable of doing so." 

Megan Red Shirt-Shaw (Oglala & Sicangu Lakota), Director of Native Student Services, is grateful to USD Athletics for this collaboration. "From day one, they have been excited to work together to center the richness of this project from every angle, and we cannot wait for the full game day experience of watching the team represent Native excellence at USD." In addition to the football game, USD Native Student Services and USD Admissions will be hosting an Admissions Program in the morning for prospective students that features a resource fair, student panel and lunch. The game will kick off with the Lakota Flag Song sung by Maȟpíya Lúta Middle School. Throughout the game, USD will also recognize Native alumni, students and staff. 

In addition to the football game, USD Native Student Services and USD Admissions will be hosting an Admissions Program in the morning for prospective students that features a resource fair, student panel, and lunch. The game will kick off with the Lakota Flag Song sung by Maȟpíya Lúta Middle School. Throughout the game, USD will also recognize Native alumni, students, and staff.