SPOKANE, Wash. – For the fourth time, Gonzaga and Nike N7 are partnering in celebration of Native American Heritage Month. During the men's basketball game on Nov. 7 against North Florida, the Zags will wear customized turquoise uniforms created by Nike. The turquoise color is symbolic of friendship and fellowship in Native American cultures.
Led by Sam McCracken (Fort Peck Sioux), N7 represents Nike's long-time commitment and mission to inspire and enable two million Native American and Aboriginal youth in North America to participate in sport and physical activity. All teams who partner with N7 wear turquoise uniforms during N7 games.
With four Native American tribes in the Spokane area, and 29 in the state of Washington, GU and Nike N7 are teaming up to leverage basketball as a way of showing Native American youth that physical activity can have a profound effect on future generations. The N7 philosophy is inspired by Native American wisdom of the Seven Generations: In every deliberation we must consider the impact of our decisions on the seventh generation.
The partnership between Gonzaga and Nike N7 illustrates one aspect of campus engagement with Indigenous communities. Through GU's College of Arts and Sciences, undergraduate students can earn a minor in Native American Studies. This program was designed to foster a deeper understanding of ancestral and contemporary Native American communities on the Columbia Plateau as well as to reinforce Gonzaga's intellectual and spiritual connection to this homeland.
Gonzaga beat Northern Arizona, 91-52, on Nov. 18, 2015, the first time the Zags wore the turquoise uniforms. The following season on the same date, GU eased to a 109-70 win over Bryant in the uniforms. In the 2018-19 season-opener against Idaho State in turquoise, the Bulldogs defeated Idaho State, 120-79.
About Nike N7
Nike believes kids aren't meant to sit still, they're Made to Play. The N7 collection supports Nike's commitment to get kids moving through the N7 Fund, which supports organizations to provide sport and physical activity programming to kids in Native American and Aboriginal communities so that they can lead healthier, happier and more successful lives. Since its creation in 2009, the Nike N7 Fund has awarded more than $8 million in grants, administered by the Charities Aid Foundation of America, to more than 270 communities and organizations. Harnessing the power of sport as a unifying force, the N7 Fund helps kids reach their greatest potential and reflects Nike's belief in creating more equal playing fields for everyone.
