The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is very proud to announce the homecoming of Kyrie Irving on August 23, 2018 at the Prairie Knights Pavilion. The celebration and ceremony will begin at 9:00AM and will include a naming ceremony, performances, and a community feed. \

This event is open to the public and the media is welcome to attend.

Kyrie Irving is a professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Kyrie was named the 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year after being selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft and became a NBA Champion in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Kyrie Irving is an Olympic Gold Medalist having won a medal in the summer games of 2016. In addition to basketball, Kyrie is an actor, designer, and father.

The family connection to Kyrie Irving comes from the White Mountain family (also known as Mountain) of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The White Mountain family comes from the Bear Soldier District, on the South Dakota side of the reservation. Kyrie’s late mother, Elizabeth Ann Larson, was adopted out of the Tribe when she was a child. Kyrie’s grandmother is the late,

Meredith Marie Mountain, who is a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Kyrie’s great- grandfather is Moses Mountain and great grandmother is Edith Morisette-Mountain.

Kyrie has long known about his heritage and connection to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and was an active supporter of the NoDAPL movement. Kyrie recently released a Nike N7 shoe, that he designed, to honor the water, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and his late mother.

Additionally, Kyrie has a tattoo of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal logo on the back of his neck. Kyrie is very proud to be Lakota and to be from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Chairman Faith stated, “We could not be more excited, he has made us all very proud. To know that he has not forgotten his roots and is taking the time before he starts his basketball season to visit the People, his People, shows that Kyrie has great character and pride in his heritage.”

This is sure to be a memorable, special, and exciting moment for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

Contact: Danielle Finn, External Affairs Director

(701) 854-8638; danielle.finn@standingrock.org