The Warriors basketball program had a chance to compete in the seventh annual Native American Junior Nationals held in Mesa, Arizona from June 26 through June 28, 2026.
Jordan Longboat, who has coached the team since its inception, discussed the team’s growth leading up to its trip to the United States.
“Last summer, we played in a regular tournament in Hamilton which we won…and then competed in Hawaii at one of their indigenous tournaments. Both our high school boys and our elementary teams won gold at the Ontario Native Basket Invitational last year, and from there… we’ve just continued trying to put teams together to compete…[recently going] to Arizona for this tournament, and preparing to go to Edmonton very soon for another event,” he noted. “In getting the team together…we put the word out, because sometimes it’s hard to get enough all-indigenous players for a team….and from there we found a group of kids. And then before going to Arizona, we did a run to see if we could get more players because it fluctuates as kids have other teams they play for and other plans. Right now, we have a group of kids who are in high school, but the core group of kids are in elementary school going into grade nine.”
Longboat, who has continued to grow as a leader, has coached various teams over the years and eventually created the Warriors basketball program.
“I started coaching at a very young age…I played football but stopped because I ended up with some concussions…so I dove into basketball a bit more. When I first got a job at the Hamilton Regional Indian Center, a friendship center in Hamilton, I met someone who got me involved with the North American Indigenous Games. I then became an assistant coach….at the games and I was a head coach at the last one in Nova Scotia. From there, I would also help build other all-indigenous teams [and] we also have been doing a Rez Hoops run on Six Nations every year,” he said. “[Eventually] through all these efforts…I met a family who wanted to develop their children’s skills…so, we decided to create a team. I’ve been coaching all- indigenous teams for a while, but this team started last year under the Warriors name, and we then competed as a full-team with a core group of kids. Since then, it’s really blown up. But I want to continue doing this…because, on a personal note, as a youth, I never had these opportunities, so I want to really give all these kids these kinds of opportunities…to meet other kids, enjoy the sport and learn life-long skills.”
However, while basketball has been an important foundation for bringing these children together, Longboat wanted to build a team that was connected to something deeper, as most of the players have roots in Six Nations.
“I think it’s really important for the kids to be connected with their cultural background…playing with players who have similar roots…and they feel the team is like family. And I try to get my teams playing at indigenous tournaments…as I find them a little bit more rewarding because the kids are playing in front of other people who are connected within Turtle Island. And this tournament, in Arizona, for example, the atmosphere was very good…everyone was there watching and supporting each other…and that’s good for the kids….to be able to know there are others there that were indigenous…and having an opportunity to share that cultural connection through basketball.”
The Native American Junior Nationals held in Arizona, gathered many teams from across the United States, as Longboat explained.
“It was an event that we registered for…and it went from grades three to 12 boys and girls, with 100s of teams and 1,400 games played across multiple divisions. A lot of our players did some fundraising themselves within their community to raise funds to attend this event. [And going forward], we are looking to start having bigger fundraisers to lighten the cost for the whole team in general,” he said. “Also, for this particular tournament…teams were guaranteed four games, and then played a round robin game…and then would continue into bracket play. We played teams from Arizona, New England, New Mexico and North Carolina…who were all good and very competitive. We made it into the elite eight…but, ended up losing by seven in the final game. It was a really tough, close game to get beat out…but, it was a good opportunity at the end of the day…and the kids really enjoyed themselves.”
One of the highlights for the coach was how competitive the team was despite their opponents having some advantages.
“There’s a difference when it comes to the United States and Canada in the sense of reclassification of ages. We legitimately had players who are in grade seven and eight…where some teams we played against in the US…had some of their kids reclassed…so, being 15 and 16 years of age sometimes. So, in some instances, we were playing kids almost two to three years older….but, I was proud of our team…as they were able to still be pretty competitive against those teams which was a highlight,” he noted. “Another highlight was our first game that we played…we came back with seven minutes left [as] they were up by seven…and we ended up winning. We went on a 14 to five run to close the game out and to win our very first game…. which really helped bring the team together and set the tone for a strong tournament for us.”
Nevertheless, a major goal is to progress the program, and for players to eventually develop their skills and create a variety of future opportunities for themselves, including a chance to earn scholarships.
“We’re one of the only teams across Canada that’s running the way we do. There’s some teams who will put a team together just to go for a single tournament…but we have been continuously running this team….I envision the program continuing for next while….we have a very good core group with kids going to grade nine, so my plan is to run this team for the next four to five years…[and] to give this core group of kids the opportunity to play baseball…[and perhaps] go on to play in the United States and get full ride scholarships,” he noted. “At the end of the day, playing basketball…is helping to develop a lot of skills these kids can use in everyday life. They have also been connecting with their culture through the program…and learning respect for themselves and others. I hope they can build off of those things…and apply it to everyday life…and just to work hard, and work well with others in teams. And I want these kids to get these opportunities early on…being part of this team, going to tournaments across Canada and the United States, while connecting with their roots and getting these experiences to learn and meet others.”
