Minnesota Wild celebrates Native American Heritage Day with special jerseys – WCCO

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (WCCO) – When the Minnesota Wild warmed up on the ice on Friday, they traded their green for something blue: a special jersey to celebrate Minnesota’s native communities.

The equipment was designed in honor of National American Heritage Day. The redesigned logo features four teepees along the Mississippi River to represent Dakota farms on the shore, and they’re adorned with Mni Sota Makoce, Minnesota’s name in the Dakota language meaning “the land where the waters reflect the sky.”

“My ancestors never imagined this, so seeing these things and knowing what they mean to me and my people – it’s just amazing,” said Shelley Buck, President of the Prairie Island Indian Community Tribal Council. .

The fans received a T-shirt with the special logo and each player signed the first jersey of its kind to be auctioned. Each jersey is available to the highest bidder and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Minnesota Wild Foundation.

“We are going to really strive to provide Indigenous children in Minnesota with health and wellness programs as well as play development,” said Rachel Schuldt, executive director of the Minnesota Wild Foundation.

The auction will also include commemorative locker room plaques and hockey pucks with the logo. It takes place from Friday to December 6. The jerseys had “tons” of offers on Friday afternoon, Schuldt said.

But for Buck, the importance of jerseys goes beyond just fundraising for a good cause. She said it sheds light on the history of indigenous communities.

“It’s important for people to know this story and you can’t have Minnesota history without starting with Dakota history,” she said.