The 7G Foundation, in partnership with the Minnesota Vikings, will host the 5th Indigenous Bowl at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, December 11 with a 10:00 a.m. kickoff. The Indigenous Bowl began in 2017 and creates opportunities for Native American athletes to compete at a high level, instills the values needed for multigenerational change and develops the next generation of leaders in their communities.
Players will practice on Thursday and Friday in West St. Paul. High school football players are chosen to compete in the game through an application process open to members of federally recognized tribes across the United States. This season, the NFL and USA Football will provide a pair of $10,000 equipment grants at the conclusion of the game. One grant will go to the schools of each team’s Unsung Hero for the game, and those funds will support the growth and quality of football played in their communities. The game will be streamed free on Neighborhood Sports Network at https://nspn.tv/MSHSL/GameStream/16451.
“Over the years of our ownership of the Vikings, support and partnership with the Native American community in Minnesota and surrounding states has been important to us,” said Mark Wilf, Vikings Owner/President. “We’re proud to welcome the Indigenous Bowl back to U.S. Bank Stadium again this season to provide a memorable game and experience.”
“The 7G Foundation is proud to partner with the NFL for this year’s 5th Annual Indigenous Bowl, which will be hosted again by the Minnesota Vikings,” said Bennae Calac, 7G Foundation President and Founder. “This is a continuation of the exposure from earlier this year when the 7G Foundation and the NFL took their partnership to a new level. During the 2022 NFL Draft, Edward Onoo Po Hill presented Commissioner Roger Goodell with his 7G All Team Medallion. Commissioner Goodell made the promise to wear the 7G Medallion on stage and during the Vikings’ draft pick, he wore the gifted 7G Medallion in front of 80 million viewers and 200k attendees.”
“The National Football League is pleased to join with the Minnesota Vikings for a second year in a row in supporting the 7G Foundation’s Indigenous Bowl,” said Troy Vincent, NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations. “We’re heartened to promote and celebrate the nation’s top Native American high school football student-athletes as they further develop and showcase their skills on this world-class stage.”
The 7G Foundation’s vision is to focus on building a more modern education system for our Indian Country and our Indigenous Communities, fundamentally incorporating the power of technology to forge a brighter future. We will also promote an education that teaches the depth of our deep history, using that knowledge to create economic mobility, community development, and multi-generational change for all Indigenous people.
(info courtesy of Vikings)
