For better or worse, Kyrie Irving is by far the “wokest” player in the NBA, if your definition of wokeness is a penchant for challenging everything you’ve ever learned. It’s admirable, in some respects, but Irving has trouble resisting the urge to take that skepticism to its logical extreme, namely with his ongoing crusade against the commonly held belief about the shape of our planet.
But being woke also means being socially conscious and socially active. These qualities also describe Kyrie Irving. So it was only mildly surprising to learn that not only is Irving a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe via his late mother’s side of the family; the tribe is also holding a special ceremony to honor him next week.
The Sioux are doing so partially because of his unique heritage, but mainly for his public support of their quest to stop production of the Dakota Access pipeline that posed all sorts of environmental and health threats to their tribal land and the native people living on the reservation.
The celebration will include a naming ceremony, performances, and community feed at the Prairie Knights Pavilion, a casino in Fort Yates, North Dakota.
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“We could not be more excited, he has made us all very proud,” chairman Mike Faith said via the tribe’s release. “To know that he has not forgotten his roots and is taking the time before he starts his basketball season to visit the People, his People, shows that Kyrie has great character and pride in his heritage.”
Irving tweeted his support back in 2016 when the protests were at full tilt and thousands of activists had descended on the lands in North Dakota in an effort to block construction, while more than a million others took to social media to stand in solidarity.
My prayers and thoughts are with everyone protesting at Standing Rock, I am with you all. #NoDAPL Defend the Sacred.
— Chief Hélà 🤞🏾 (@KyrieIrving) November 22, 2016
More recently, Irving posted this message to his Instagram last season after undergoing knee surgery, which included his neck tattoo of the Standing Rock seal and the hashtag #StandingRockSiouxTribe.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhMonavHMi0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
In addition, Irving’s new signature shoe released earlier this year, the “N7,” features the Standing Rock seal on the heels.
