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Oregon State Champions Tribal Council Motions……………………………………………………………………4
Dee-ni' Nuu-wee-ya'
Nee-san Num-nii~-ma~s (October) 2022 - Volume 29, Issue 10
LOCAL TRIBAL YOUTH EXCEL IN BASEBALL
Del Norte Little League All-Star Baseball Junior age division made a historic run for local baseball. The team, comprised of players between the ages of 12 to 14, went deep into the postseason. Representing Del Norte in Oregon’s District 8, the 11-player team went on to win the Oregon State Tournament in Prineville OR, becoming the Oregon State Little League Junior Champions for 2022. All of their wins at the state tournament were of 10 runs or more. (Yes, Del Norte County California actually is part of Oregon’s little league due in part to our proximity to Oregon based teams.) Following the State Championship, the team went on to represent the state of Oregon in the Western Regional competition. Teams winning this round would move on to represent the Western Division in the Little League World Series. Hosted by the City of Bend, Oregon, at Caldera High School these boys represented Del Norte, their local tribes, and the surrounding community with dignity and respect. Matched up against teams from 10 other western states, the boys fought hard. It was amazing to watch them compete against All-Star teams from huge areas where some teams have population bases to pick from in excess of 250,000 people, compared to the Del Norte team being comprised from a population base of appx 25,000. Continued on page 2
These higher power teams have over 10x the player pool to pick from but that didn’t stop our boys from competing with them at the highest level! Ultimately the team did fall short of winning the regional competition, however the accomplishment is no less amazing. Tribally this team was the most significant representation in recent memory for Del Norte Baseball. 9 of the 11 kids on the team are either local tribal members or descendants of Native Americans. Tribal members hailing from Siletz, Yurok and Tolowa Dee-ni Nation. Tolowa Dee-ni tribal members played prominent roles on the team and they included Marcus Parras starting 1st base and 3rd base, Dominick Miller starting catcher, and Kanyon Starkey starting pitcher and shortstop. The team was coached by Kurt Miller Tolowa Dee-ni tribal member, Victor Starkey spouse of Tolowa Dee-ni tribal member, Trevor Williams who is Yurok, and Head Coach Chuck Williams also Yurok. The tribal component to this team was really spectacular and something to take pride in. Practicing on average 5 days a week for 2 months straight, these boys didn’t complain at all and went at bettering their craft and it sure showed by the time the tournaments rolled around. By the end of the season we as coaches had heard numerous times things like “baseball is my favorite sport” or “I like baseball now more than _____ sport”. This in the end is the real goal. To instill work ethic and a love for a team game in these young men. There are boys coming off this team who now just want to play baseball all year long! A huge thank you goes out to the community for helping to support the kid’s historic journey. The outpouring of support was astounding. And a very special thank you goes out to the Tolowa Dee-ni Nation for donating not only to this team but to all the little league All-Star teams as well as the Nations support to sponsor the local Little League itself. Without programs like Little League there would be kids who never reach their full potential not just in baseball but in life itself. It truly is an invaluable program. Submitted by Kurt Miller
Pictured Marcus Parras, Dominick Miller, and Kanyon Starkey with tribal sponsorship banner at the Regionals in Bend, Oregon.
