MINOT, N.D. — A member of the Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara) was chosen by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NDAPSSA) as both athlete of the year and North Dakota’s Mr. Basketball. Jesse White, 18, of White Shield, N.D. is Arikara and was the lone Native student athlete to be considered for Mr. Basketball among five finalists.
“It’s a great blessing, it feels good,” White told Native News Online. “This is definitely for my family, for my people from my reservation. This is to show any kids from any reservation that if you put your mind to anything you can do it.”
Mr. Basketball is awarded annually to the state's top high school senior, according to NDAPSSA’s website.
White finished second on the all-time scoring list for North Dakota prep boys basketball history with 2,768 points, according to The Bismarck Tribune. He has been clocking varsity team minutes since the 7th grade. This past season, he averaged 28 points per game, according to NDAPSSA.
White’s school, White Shield High School, has an enrollment of 38 students, making it one of the smallest schools in the state. Because enrollment is so small, players like White often get overlooked by the media and schools seeking talent.
As for what’s next, White is definitely going to pursue college basketball, but hasn’t committed yet. “I want to make the best decision for me,” he said.
“I think about Jesse, our little Inanni (brother) just six years ago when he made his varsity debut as a 7th grader and him making sports history is amazing,” said White’s older sister Dawn White to Native News Online. “As a family we are so proud of his accomplishments and warrior spirit day in and day out.”
Dawn added: “We know he will continue to keep achieving his goals and dreams.”
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (March 26, 2023): D.C. BriefsState-Funded Charter School Says Native 1st-Grader's Traditional Hair Violates Dress Code
Rep. Peltola, Sen. Mullin Introduce Legislation to Protect 2nd Amendment Rights of Native Americans
Navajo Nation Mourns Loss of Former President Ben Shelly
Native American Church Chapter Sues Bank for Racial and Religious Discrimination
12 years of Native News
This month, we celebrate our 12th year of delivering Native News to readers throughout Indian Country and beyond. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools.
Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation this month to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps. If you’re in a position to do so, we ask you to consider making a recurring donation of $12 per month to help us remain a force for change in Indian Country and to tell the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked.
Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.
