High school athletes get glimpse of big time at the NFL Indigenous Bowl

The view inside U.S. Bank Stadium stunned Gaabi Boucha.

The Ojibwe tribal member from central Minnesota was among 80 Indigenous high school students from across the country gathered for the fifth annual Indigenous Bowl on Sunday. They represented more than 50 tribal nations, and were supported by Indigenous coaches, referees and staff members.

"It really took my breath away just looking up and seeing the stands go as high as the sky," said Boucha, one of three Minnesota players at the bowl. "This game is a really big opportunity for me, and I want to come here and put on a show for my people back home and for my tribe."

Some players had never left their reservation before. For others, it was their first time boarding a plane to get here. For everyone, the Indigenous Bowl marked a turning point in an effort to introduce more Native American students to a potential career in professional sports or playing at the collegiate level.

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, who flipped a coin to decide which team would receive the ball first, said the bowl means a lot to Minnesota, where the Vikings hosted the event for the second year in a row.

"To be able to host this here is really, I think, a reflection of [Minnesota's] strong tribal nations and just the great opportunity that sports provides for these youth," Smith said.

"We know that the impacts of COVID were particularly hard felt in tribal communities," she continued. "So, to see these kids be able to come together and have this experience, you can just see them all standing up really tall and feeling really proud of what they were accomplishing."

Players draped themselves in flags representing their tribal nations. They flew across the field and crashed into each others' shoulder pads while more than a hundred family and friends cheered on. And the previous day, the players met and practiced with Minnesota Vikings' players.

It was a grand stage for those playing on Sunday, but it wasn't always like this.

Started in 2017, the NFL Indigenous Bowl offers high school athletes from federally recognized Indian tribes with a 2.5 GPA or higher a chance to play in front of college scouts and coaches. The event has been led by Bennae Calac, member of the Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians in California and founder and executive director of the 7G Foundation.

The Indigenous Bowl has grown over the years, with more than 400 players from across the country applying this year. Additional NFL teams have expressed interest, and Calac says many players have gone on to play football in college or other divisions.

She says the event could grow into an incubator for Indigenous players, referees, coaches and staff hoping to work in professional football, and she hopes to branch the initiative out to other sports.

"We want to help find advocacy for our people and show that we're just as good as everybody else," Calac said. "It's just not about sports. It's about education, community, athleticism, health and environment. Because we believe that in order to go to the next level, you have to have all of that."

It takes a lot of work to get to that next level, but Boucha encouraged youth who want to be part of the next Indigenous Bowl to keep working.

"Keep your grades up. Get in the weight room. Stay in good physical shape," Boucha said. "Your opportunity's going to come. And when it does, take it."