Lauren Schad is originally from the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation and now plays professional volleyball for Nantes, France. Whether she is visiting her Lakota relatives in South Dakota, where she grew up, or traveling overseas for work, she makes a point of using her platform as an athlete to raise awareness on the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and to educate others about Indigenous people, eradicating stereotypes. The colors of the medicine wheel — a Lakota cultural symbol that represents balance and the four directions — are integrated into the N7 Air Zoom Type by Lauren, which also took inspiration from the intricate porcupine quill art that comes from her tribe.
1. Elements of full-grain leather: “I loved the idea of creating a shoe that has longevity. It’s a material that's intended to last.”
2. Purple colorway: The color represents the wampum shell, a natural oceanic shell from Thompson’s Onondaga nation used for crafting objects like bowls. “Our people used one-dish, one-spoon wampum to make treaties with our allies, but we also used them to make treaties with the Earth.”
3. The braided leather Swoosh: “Our people have been stripped of many parts of their identity throughout history, and one of those ways is through their hair. I wanted the braid to reflect a sense of pride about who we are.”
Learning how to represent comes from keen observation, Thompson says, and happens subtly. A vivid example occurs when kids watch how their mentors show up in the world. He remembers paying close attention to one of his biggest mentors, his older brother Jeremy. He studied Jeremy’s smallest patterns and habits, eager to act more like him in the ways he trained for lacrosse — the way he ran, the way he flicked his wrist on a shovel shot. “All of that knowledge is recycled; I can never take credit for learning it on my own,” Lyle says. “What I can do is pass it to the next generation.”
That’s exactly what Thompson’s 4 the Future Foundation does, using lacrosse to teach Indigenous youth about the values of persistence, respect and joy in sport. This commitment to mentorship is also core to the grantee partnerships made through the N7 Fund, which support Indigenous youth throughout North America with mentorship programs that help kids lead healthier and happier lives. In addition, the grants help deliver services that support education, guide career development and provide essential healthcare needs.
The close observation that takes place through mentorship is a priority across Nike. It’s reflected in programs like Women In jordan 1, which brings former WNBA players into the company to share an expertise and value system from their playing careers in a corporate environment. In the field of design, the Serena Design Crew and Nike x Design programs match diverse product and apparel talents with Nike designers, working together to lead seasonal capsules.
“My hope for anyone wearing the Dunk is to sense the Indigenous trait of resiliency. We represent a mindset, full of knowledge, that we can give to the world as the first people of North America."
As corporate models, each program relies on listening to the voices of underrepresented groups to help Nike develop a more complete perspective on the world of sport. The silhouettes and apparel in N7 give Nike a similar opportunity to listen — and it's just as true now as it was in 2007, when the first N7 product was released. Through collaborations like Thompson’s Dunk, values can be transposed onto a wearable object.
“My hope for anyone wearing the Dunk is to sense the Indigenous trait of resiliency. We’re a resilient people,” says Thompson. “We represent a mindset, full of knowledge, that we can give to the world as the first people of North America. We represent a strong legacy that insists on showing up again and again despite the history of colonization. We’re proudly Indigenous, and we have a lot to give to the world.”
没有评论:
发表评论