MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx will celebrate Native American Heritage Night, presented by Treasure Island Resort & Casino and the Prairie Island Indian Community, on Thursday, July 14. Minnesota hosts the Dallas Wings at Target Center with tipoff set for 7 p.m. CT.
The annual night celebrates the Native American community and highlights the Prairie Island Indian Community, uplifting their heritage and sharing stories of culture and traditions. The evening will include both entertainment and service recognition.
“Our partnership with Treasure Island Resort & Casino is one we’re very proud of,” said Lynx President of Business Operations Carley Knox. “Together, we’ve been committed to uplifting marginalized communities and sharing stories of inclusion that celebrate diversity. This is always a special night for our organization and the Native American community.”
Prior to tipoff, fans can watch members of the Prairie Island Indian Community perform their Flag Song. Singers and dancers will also perform at halftime.
Jessie Stomski Seim is an enrolled citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma and will be recognized as an Inspiring Woman, as part of the Lynx Inspiring Women series. The season-long program spotlights women making a difference in the community. Stomski Seim served on the 2022 NCAA Women’s Final Four Committee and Equity Assurance Committee, playing an integral role in bringing awareness to the low number of Native American scholarship athletes – less than 1% of all NCAA student-athletes are Native American. Throughout the Final Four, Stomski Seim and the Indigenous Athletics Advancement Council (IAAC) organized various efforts to bring awareness to this issue. The IAAC brought over 200 youth and families to each day of the games, hosted a clinic at the Minneapolis American Indian Center in South Minneapolis, created in-game educational experiences, and educated Division I coaches on Native American communities. The IAAC and Stomski Seim continue their advocacy for Native athletes across the United States.
Since 2015, Stomski Seim has served as General Counsel for the Prairie Island Indian Community where she oversees legal and government relations for the Tribe and its entities. Prior to that Stomski Seim represented various tribes and business clients throughout the nation in private practice. She was a standout on the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s women’s basketball team (1998-2002) and was drafted by the Charlotte Sting in the 2002 WNBA Draft. She also completed seasons abroad in France and Greece before attending law school. She was inducted into the University of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2020. Stomski Seim served three terms on the board of directors for the Minnesota American Indian Bar Association, was named In-House Attorney of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer Magazine in 2019, and was a National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development 40 under 40 award recipient in 2015.
As a former elected Tribal Leader of the Prairie Island Indian Community, Lu Taylor will be recognized during the evening’s game. Taylor served the Prairie Island Community for 10 terms and was the first LGBTQIA+ person to serve in that role.
During her tenure, Taylor fought for many issues on behalf of the community and was a fierce advocate for the protection of Indigenous children and victims of abuse. Through her leadership, Prairie Island became one of the first Tribes in the country to expressly legalize same sex marriage.
Last fall, the Timberwolves and Lynx, in partnership with Treasure Island Resort & Casino unveiled a refurbished outdoor court for the Prairie Island Indian Community in Welch, Minnesota.
Tickets for tomorrow’s game are available at www.lynxbasketball.com/tickets.
About Treasure Island Resort & Casino
The Prairie Island Indian Community owns and operates Treasure Island Resort & Casino, Mount Frontenac Golf Course and Dakota Station. Treasure Island is the only casino in southern Minnesota located on the Mississippi River. The property features more than 2,200 slots, 44 table games, a poker room and a recently refreshed 500-seat high stakes bingo hall. Treasure Island’s 788-room hotel, which includes the Wolf Tower, is the second largest hotel in Minnesota. Additional amenities include The Lagoon indoor water park, Wave Spa, Island Xtreme Bowl, Cyber Quest arcade, Kids Quest child care, various restaurants, a 16,000-seat outdoor amphitheater, a 2,800-seat indoor event and convention center, a 137-slip marina, a 95-site RV park and a 100-passenger yacht. For more information, visit TIcasino.com.