OKMULGEE, Okla.- The 2025 American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) National Basketball Tournament came to an end after three days of play on March 26. The event, hosted by the College of the Muscogee Nation (CMN), brought together Tribal College basketball teams from across the United States, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and its citizens.
Men’s and Women’s basketball teams from Navajo Technical University, Northwest Indian College, Institute of American Indian Arts, Turtle Mountain College, Fort Peck Community College, and Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College visited CMN and the Mvskoke Reservation, some for the first time.
Mvskoke Media spoke with players and coaches from the visiting teams about their experiences playing ball in the Mvskoke Reservation and their hopes to return to CMN, as well as MCN leadership about the event.
Basketball player Amina Yellow Horse (Oglala Lakota) from the Oglala Lakota College in South Dakota was glad to be here on the Mvskoke Reservation and hoped that they could have it here again next year. “Honestly, it was a good experience. I like the people, the environment. I would say I want to come back again, I’m glad AIHEC was down here and not in the cold,” Yellow Horse said.
This is Trazil Lane’s (Lummi Nation) first time in Oklahoma. The Northwest Indian College (NWIC) men’s assistant coach shared his thoughts about the Mvskoke dome. “I really like it, I like this dome. It’s not too big and it’s not too little at the same time, so I like it,” Lane said.
NWIC is on the Lummi Reservation and according to Trazil Lane it helps the Lummi Tribal members pursue college. Students also come to NWIC from across the United States: Hawaii, Alaska, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon and Wyoming.
“We just have students all over, and it’s just a blessing.”
Trazil Lane felt like he built a really good relationship with the team and they’ve also been able to travel everywhere to play. “We just build a closer bond no matter what the score outcome is, no matter what,” he said.
NWIC head coach Adam Lane (Lummi Nation) has been coaching the men’s team for his third year, and during his time as a coach he has brought home two championships in 2023 and this year, 2025. This year was his first time traveling to the Mvskoke Reservation.
Adam Lane, who grew up on the Lummi Reservation, spoke about the importance of success on and off the court. “I think it’s really important to get them educated and make sure they come in and get their degree. They can do two years or four years with us,” Adam Lane said.
“We want them to at least get their two years so they can go on and do big things out there after they leave us, but that’s the goal. We really do our best to support the guys and really push them to be their best,” he said.
Adam Lane also shared the challenging schedule his team embraces. He said, “It’s been really good and we’re part of AIHEC. We actually schedule all levels of college basketball so we travel around quite a bit and we play division I schools, division II schools, division III schools, JUCO (Junior College), literally anybody and everybody that we can find that wants to play. We are always up for the challenge and we are just out here to push the guys and give them a great experience.”
Common ground among the players and students is important for his team. “Some grew up on the rez, and some didn’t but everyone kind of has the same back story,” Adam Lane said. “Everyone goes through adversity, and we just got a really great group of kids this year, they got really great attitude, really positive, really hard working and we want to see them have success here, or on the basketball court and in the classroom as well.”
Many MCN tribal employees, citizens, and leadership came to watch the tournament. CMN college students filled the Dome, as well. Principal Chief David Hill and Second Chief Del Beaver attended games throughout the three days of tournament play.
MCN National Council McIntosh District Representative Galen Cloud (Mvskoke) had watched CMN’s previous live streams of the tournament in years past. When he heard about who was hosting it this year and where it will be located he was excited.
“I really like watching basketball games and I attend some of the local games in and out of the reservation when I know that there’s stecate (Native) kids that are out there on the court,” Rep. Cloud said.
Rep. Cloud attended Monday’s pool play, and he cheered on CMN student athletes. He wanted to show his support for the Ravens and the college as a whole.
“It was a very exciting game! It was something for me to see, nothing but Native American students out there playing. I enjoyed myself and when I followed the other teams during the second and third day you can see different tribal colleges from different states,” Rep. Cloud said. “As the tournament went on you saw the other teams sitting out there and they were cheering for both teams out on the floor. That was something good to see.”
Rep. Cloud was glad to be able to have the chance to watch the Ravens in person and it was an experience he will remember. “I’m glad the Nation and the college held this, it showcased our reservation, our Dome and also the surrounding schools. We hold a lot of district games, regional games for high school and we’ve held this,” Cloud said.
“We are moving up on a bigger scale and it made me feel proud to see that and to see everybody from different colleges from different states that came in. They maybe got a little taste of our culture and our tradition, especially our school and how proud we are of them.”
Results:
Women’s Division II
1st place- Sisseton Wahpeton College
2nd place- Oglala Lakota College
3rd place- Navajo Technical University
Women’s Division I
1st place- Salish Kootenai College
2nd place- Northwest Indian College
3rd place- College of the Muscogee Nation
Men’s Division II
1st place- Chief Dull Knife College
2nd place- Navajo Technical University
3rd place- Oglala Lakota University
Men’s Division I
1st place- Northwest Indian College
2nd place- Sisseton Wahpeton College
3rd place- Salish Kootenai College
