The Nipissing Lakers Athletics Department, Lakers Basketball and Nipissing University's Enji giigdoyang, Office of Indigenous Initiatives have teamed up to host the inaugural Indigenous Cultural Celebration Night, set for Friday, Feb. 9 at the Robert J. Surtees Athletic Centre. 

The Lakers will host the Algoma Thunderbirds on the court, with the women tipping-off at 6pm and the men following at 8pm. 

The evening will include drumming and dancing in celebration of Indigenous culture and heritage. Indigenous vendors will also be set up in the foyer of the Athletics Centre.  

Members of Dokis First Nation, located in the District of Parry Sound approximately 16 kilometres southwest of Lake Nipissing, will attend the game as well as children from Kikendawt Kinoomaadii  Gamig who will be also present to sing and drum.

Both Lakers teams will don unique jerseys designed by Micah MacLeod, an Indigenous student at Nipissing, that celebrate the connection between the Indigenous community and the basketball programs.

These jerseys display the colours of the medicine wheel, a dream catcher and an illustration of turtle  island and will be auctioned-off by silent auction post-game.  

Funds raised through the silent auction, ticket sales and donations will support the Nipissing University's Mino-Bimaadiziwin Cultural Development Bursary. 

The Mino-Bimaadiziwin Cultural Development Bursary is designed to support Indigenous student cultural revitalization as a way of creating space where balance can be pursued through Indigenous way of knowing and learning. Funds from this bursary are to be used to support an Indigenous cultural engagement which will positively impact the student experience.  

For more information regarding  the Enji giigdoyang, Office of Indigenous Initiatives, visit https://www.nipissingu.ca/departments/indigenous-initiatives.