This episode features Lynette Lewis, a Diné woman who explains her involvement with NABI, the Native American Basketball Invitational. As a businesswoman of LRLewis LLC, she talks about how she is able to provide services to native athletes such as basketball tournaments and skills training. Rez ball is a huge component to her native community and she talks about the efforts she is doing to provide exposure to some very talented athletes.

[Lynette Lewis]

It's been definitely just amazing to see the growth, you know, to keep in contact after they're done when they become NABI alumni and to see their journey. Some of these kids get picked up by a college to play basketball and it's just awesome to see them representing not just NABI but, you know, their community, where they come from and just making a name for themselves.

[Lakin]

Hello and welcome back to Grand Canyon Speaks. This is Lakin.

[Meranden]

And this is Meranden.

[Lakin]

Today's episode is about Lynette Lewis. She is Diné and speaks about her involvement with NABI, the Native American Basketball Invitational, from starting as a volunteer and making her way to becoming the tournament director.

[Meranden]

She also describes her experience as a business owner where she provides professional services for Native athletes.

[Lakin]

And reveals that she is working on a film highlighting a very successful girls basketball team on the Navajo Reservation.

[Meranden]

Thank you for tuning into today's episode and here is Lynette Lewis.

[Lynette Lewis]

First, thank you for having me. I'm happy to be here and I like to first introduce myself in my Navajo Diné language. Hello everyone. (Introduces self in Navajo)

My name is Lynette Lewis. I am from the Bitterwater clan, born for the Mud clan, my maternal grandfathers of the Towering House clan and my paternal grandfathers of the Bear clan. And this is how I define myself as a Navajo woman.

[Ranger Eliana]

Awesome. Thank you for sharing that with us. I want to ask you, I heard it's your first time coming here to Grand Canyon.

What does it feel like to be here for the first time?

[Lynette Lewis]

It's overwhelming. It is my first time and I think stepping up to the rim, I am actually afraid of heights but this is actually not that bad. I think the first thing I said was it looks like a fake background but it's very beautiful.

Just to see nature and see this for the first time, it's amazing.

[Ranger Eliana]

That's so awesome and just so everyone listening knows, we are looking directly at the canyon right now and you did definitely say that the first time you stepped up to the rim. The canyon is really just so amazing and it's also such a significant place. So Grand Canyon is home to the 11 associated tribes but it also seems like one version of home for you might be on the basketball court or in your work with NABI.

Can you tell us about NABI, what it is and how you got started with it?

[Lynette Lewis]

Yeah, so NABI is the Native American Basketball Invitational. It's been around for 22 years and it started off very, a very small tournament and has grown significantly over the past 20 years plus years. This past year, it is an event that happens every year in July in Phoenix, Arizona.

NABI does host Native American tribes from all over the country. It is a high school tournament and does take place over the course of four days and this year, there was 204 teams, boys and girls. There was 508 games total, played over four days and there were 160 plus tribal nations represented.

[Ranger Eliana]

Wow, that's a huge deal, especially like hearing about how NABI has grown over time. I remember listening to an interview you did a few years ago and I think you said maybe it was like 128 teams or something. It's so cool to hear how much and how quickly NABI has grown.

Another big achievement I heard of yours is that you were a commentator for NABI games on ESPN and I was curious what it means for you being an Indigenous woman on one of the largest sporting platforms in the world.

[Lynette Lewis]

Yeah, so this was back I believe in 2021. We did have the opportunity to go live on ESPN plus which is a big accomplishment for NABI and I was one of several commentators. We were all an Indigenous broadcast and so that in itself was an accomplishment just representing our own tribes on this big platform just being female and in a sports world.

You really see that and now with women in sports, it's definitely growing and you know I just wanted to be that person for younger females to see and to know that you know they can also be in this position too.

[Ranger Eliana]

I remember in the office when I was thinking about what I wanted to ask you, one of my co-workers when I mentioned, oh she did say that you know she was a commentator on ESPN but I'm not sure if we have time for that question. He said definitely ask that you know make sure you ask that and also you know in regards to being a female in a male-dominated field, it's just so impressive and you're definitely a role model.

[Lynette Lewis]

Thank you.

[Ranger Eliana]

It's so awesome and I'm sure you're a role model for a lot of the youth as well. I do want to ask you because you mentioned you worked for NABI for 14 years and there's so many young people coming through NABI. Do you keep in touch with any of the players and how do you keep in touch with them?

[Lynette Lewis]

Yes, as you said 14 years. I have met a lot of players, kept in contact with a lot of coaches that have been coming every year with a new group of players. I think every player will at least play four years in NABI and then a new group of kids will come in but it's been definitely just amazing to see the growth you know to keep in contact after they're done when they become NABI alumni and to see their journey.

Some of these kids get picked up by a college to play basketball and it's just awesome to see them representing not just NABI but you know their community where they come from and just making a name for themselves. You rarely see Native American athletes playing at a college level so it's just great to see that you know that's also changing and we're seeing more representation in that too.

[Ranger Eliana]

Yeah and that's so cool that NABI has such a big role in highlighting young Native American athletes and helping to get them to the college level and that you're also still invested in the players after they come through NABI and seeing their growth over time and celebrating them. That's really awesome and I know that you also have grown a lot with NABI like you said 14 years. Could you tell me a little bit about like your time with NABI because I heard that you started as a volunteer and grew into your current position now you do a lot with the organization.

[Lynette Lewis]

Yeah so it all started when I was still a student at Arizona State University and it was the summer time so I was on break and I needed something to do so knowing that NABI was coming up my sister and I we decided that we should volunteer and be part of it so that happened the first year and then I was actually asked to come back the following year to do an internship so it kind of started from there and then you know eventually went into a part-time position and then eventually full-time and then came to a point where I was I became the tournament director so this was I think this was my sixth year that just passed in 2025.

[Ranger Eliana]

Yeah you know that you started out as a volunteer and an intern and you've grown into such an important role with NABI you know I think it's really it's really good for young people to hear as well like I myself was an intern one year ago so it's inspiring to see how far you could go in your life and in your career.

[Lynette Lewis]

Yeah and if I could add to that you know I always like to share my share this message to a lot of the youth is that it's important to volunteer it's important to take internships because it never know you never know where it's going to take you where you're going to end up and you know look at me and so I'm at a point where I was able to establish my own business and now I'm have the ability to work with other native communities and other organizations which has been great.

[Ranger Eliana]

Yeah that's so cool and such an important message for young people especially to hear it's like life could take you anywhere but you have to take those opportunities.

[Lynette Lewis]

Correct.

[Ranger Eliana]

Yeah that's awesome and I also think like NABI is such a great opportunity for young people because I know you told me that you have teams from all over the country and even some teams from abroad and all over the world and I'm curious what the experience is like for young players who come out to compete in NABI tournament.

[Lynette Lewis]

Aside from the competition I think it's all about bringing the kids together you know unify them and it's also an opportunity for them to meet other athletes from different parts of the world the other part you know from different tribes and also just to get to learn a different tribe's culture their you know traditions so it's you know educational too and I know a lot of athletes don't have the opportunity to travel even just out of state or to a big city so this is a great opportunity for them and just to meet other kids from different parts of the country from different communities.

[Ranger Eliana]

Yeah that's so cool and such a good learning experience and like cross-cultural connections for the kids. I want to ask you like maybe a personal question but did you travel much when you were growing up? I know you've traveled a lot now but when you were like maybe their age did did you have that experience traveling?

[Lynette Lewis]

Unfortunately I didn't. I'm from New Mexico so you know the nearest city was Albuquerque and you know that was big to me and then I think my first time going to traveling to California like that was major and because you know I never really had the opportunity and I just I knew when I had that first time traveling to another place I knew like I wanted to travel to more places outside of you know where I'm from. Now it's like with my work I have the opportunity to do so now and it's been amazing to travel to all these different places and you know see other communities.

[Ranger Eliana]

Yeah and there's like so much that you learn when you go somewhere that's different from the place that you grew up. It's really wonderful that you're kind of like facilitating and providing that opportunity for young people and you're also getting to learn yourself through your travels. I want to ask you kind of an unrelated random question because we always try to ask this fun question and that is what is your favorite native food?

[Lynette Lewis]

My favorite native food? Let's see so I am Navajo. Every time I go home I have to have mutton so roast mutton with green chili.

That's my go-to every time I go home. I mean there's a lot of other foods but I say you know that for sure.

[Ranger Eliana]

That sounds so good. I have to I've never actually had mutton and I also don't think I've ever had green chili. Can you describe for the listeners like what does it taste like or like what's green chili like?

[Lynette Lewis]

I don't know how to describe mutton. I've asked people before I know some people's it's not for everyone but green chili it's a well New Mexico they're known as the green chili capital of the world because you know of hatch green chili it's you know you can find it there in New Mexico. So I've grown up I feel like when we have dinner lunch doesn't matter when you're always have some sort of chili there that you eat with so I love spice I love chili so I know there's different temperature levels you know you can go mild you can go extra hot so it varies.

[Ranger Eliana]

Okay so Lakin is one of the interns here and he is from Zuni and when he comes home sometimes he brings fried chicken with chili and he let me try the chili sauce but it was red but whatever it was was really good.

[Lynette Lewis]

Yeah red and green I say it's very similar we call it if you combine the two we call it Christmas.

[Ranger Eliana]

This is a good learning opportunity. I like that those are definitely the Christmas colors. That's awesome.

Now I'm just thinking about food and I'm trying to transition my brain back because I want to ask you now like kind of another question related to where you grew up because you told me that you you're in the process of making a film called Kirtland Dynasty and it's from the area where you grew up so I was wondering if you could tell us about the film what it's been like making the film and also why that story was important to you.

[Lynette Lewis]

So Kirtland Dynasty we're actually in post-production right now and we're in the process of finding investors to finish the film. It was a two-year project where we followed the girls basketball team over their season and I wanted to tell the story because they are currently 22 time state champions and I want to put it out there because it's unknown to hear well for me I felt it was normal because you know coming from a place where basketball is everything like having that many state championships was normal to hear you know from where I'm from but when I have met people told them about about it people are fairly shocked when I tell them how many state championships they've won and so basketball being huge in the Native community I definitely wanted to showcase this team because of the dynasty they created in Kirtland with their girls basketball program and you know there's talent there in the community and I say in all Native communities but you know in the specific community we've had several girls go on to play college basketball some who have who have made it to the D1 level so you know I want to tell their story and it's not a lot of people know about Kirtland or the program so this is my way of you know showing that and highlighting them and the place where I grew up.

[Ranger Eliana]

Yeah and it's really important to highlight that because like I definitely didn't know about that and you know it seems like there's so many young girls that give so much of themselves to this sport and and they're so successful and they really deserve recognition. So you mentioned how important basketball is to a lot of Native communities so I've heard that before and I've also heard like about "rez ball" and I'm not really familiar with like what basketball means to Native communities and also like how the style of basketball might be different. Could you tell me like a little bit about that?

[Lynette Lewis]

Yeah so rez ball it is a style of play it's fast-paced a lot of people call it run and gun so you know make a basket you know you're just constantly running back and forth and and as far as basketball in the Native community I feel like it's like an outlet for a lot of young athletes because when you go to a lot of these tribal communities there's not much around as far as entertainment. So you know basketball being what it is when it comes to basketball season you know you see a lot of the community come together to watch a game to support their local team because I know for me living in New Mexico we never had any major sports teams in the area so basketball high school local high school teams were you know the teams we supported and I remember growing up I was fans of some of these players I looked up to some of these players and I wanted to play like these players and I wanted to be like them so with that I'm sure it's very similar everywhere else in different communities so I think it's extra special because you know we have our own way of life with our own type of basketball.

[Ranger Eliana]

Yeah and it's so cool how like even the style of the sport is unique to the community and it's also really cool how you say like the community comes out to support the team and how you looked up to them as a young person and I'm sure you have a lot of young people today who look up to you as well. I'm curious because you said res ball is more like fast-paced when you have the NABI tournaments is it like in rez ball style or the teams playing like fast-paced like that what's like what's the sport feel like when you have all these teams coming out for the NABI tournament?

[Lynette Lewis]

Yeah I definitely see a lot of that res ball run and gun but I think now with this new generation of youth coming up you're starting to see a little transition of how basketball is being played you know you're seeing more organized basketball and you know with that too is one of the things that we lack in the native community is exposure. We don't have scouts college scouts coming out to the reservations to watch our kids play so that's why you know tournaments like NABI were created this was for the exposure so these kids can come to a place where they can be seen and so now that's becoming so big and you're seeing social media grow now we have we're at a point where NABI's having the games televised live like that's something new today and it's nice because you know back in back in my day when I was playing high school we had none of that we really didn't have social media social media was like just beginning and you know we weren't highlighted in that same way kids are now so I feel like now is the time to have our have our kids being seen and the opportunities for them to play at a higher level.

[Ranger Eliana]

It's definitely so important to have that exposure just to give people those opportunities and you mentioned how NABI games are now being streamed and that is so amazing. Could you tell me like a little bit about that process and also where listeners could watch NABI games?

[Lynette Lewis]

Yeah so NABI does have their own network it's called NABI Network and I know this past year they work with Arizona Family where it was streamed live on their station I believe and I think it was also streamed live on YouTube but even after the games that are done they'll still be put on to NABI Network for people to still you know see those games even if they didn't see them back in July so I know NABI is definitely trying to expand and grow that live stream to a point where they can stream all games live so if you're looking at 508 games you know I think their goal is to stream all 508 games.

[Ranger Eliana]

Wow that's that would be like so awesome to be able to see them all and every player then I'm thinking about like every player and their families being able to look and say like that's me yeah that's super exciting and really important as well and you know we've talked a lot about NABI's growth and the important work that you're doing with NABI but I know that you also have your own business and I think that's really inspiring as well.

Could you tell us a little bit about your experience as a business owner?

[Lynette Lewis]

Yeah so I never went to school to become a business owner um surprisingly I have a chemistry degree a bachelor in chemistry my career goal was to become a doctor and that totally changed once I got involved with NABI but my company started back November 2022 so I've had it for three years now but it's given me the opportunity to work with other organizations get into the community more and you know work within those communities because I feel now with my experience over the years I think I've come to a point where I can provide resources to the communities like come to them and provide my knowledge and any resources that I have come across and that's my my goal now with my work is to bring exposure and just support Native youth athletes especially in basketball which is my you know forte.

[Ranger Eliana]

Yeah it's so cool that like now you get to be the person that's coming to communities or providing resources or exposure it's really inspiring like even for me to see because I personally would love to support youth and so it's it's cool to see your journey how you've gotten to a point where you are the person providing that support. You mentioned going into different communities and I know that you've traveled to a lot of different tribal nations through your work so I wanted to ask you just about your experience traveling around the country traveling to different tribal nations and and what you've learned from that.

[Lynette Lewis]

Yeah as I said you know I've my goal was to travel and you know see the world I've only been outside of the country to Canada and I've actually been to Australia and Mexico those were the only three places I've been outside of the the U.S. but you know everyone wants to travel abroad but my goal is to visit as many tribal nations as possible because I want to learn about their culture and about you know where they come from because with my experience through NABI I have met so many people that have come from different nations and when I was in high school you know I didn't know there are that many tribal nations out there and like you said you know with my travel I've got an opportunity to travel to some of these communities and you know every place is very welcoming and it's just an honor to be there you know I've been to some places that I feel like were very similar to you know where I grew up and there's places that are totally different you go to a place like Florida or Washington because we're desert people and totally different but it's been awesome just to just even experience that a whole climate change.

[Ranger Eliana]

Yes it is crazy how different it is where you go because I'm from Washington so I know it's all rain there and here it's like well it's raining right now a little bit but it's mostly just dry and it's um there's so much you can learn from from going places and seeing how different the land is how different cultures are all the people you can meet where you go and I want to let you know you really inspire me especially hearing how you didn't travel much when you were younger but you wanted to and you've been able to like accomplish that and learn from that while also supporting young people it's it's just really inspiring and I'm sure there's a lot of young people out there who have been really touched by your work okay with that said I just want to ask if there's if there's anything you would like to leave the audience with?

[Lynette Lewis]

I think just going off of what I just said you know visiting some of these tribal nations if you're not from the community or if you're you know non-native I know there could be some hesitation and I know people want to learn but I would like the audience to know that a lot of these tribal communities are very welcoming a lot of places have museums and they have culture centers and those places were built for a reason was for people to come and visit their community to learn about their community to learn of their culture their traditions so you know best thing is to do a little research a lot of these tribes have their own website so definitely you know check out wherever you're going where you want to go see if they have a website that lists a museum a culture center and you know we as native people we're very open and very welcoming so you know take the initiative to learn about our culture.

[Ranger Jonah]

Grand Canyon Speaks is a program hosted by Grand Canyon National Park and the Grand Canyon Conservancy. A special thanks to Aaron White for the theme music.

This recording reflects the personal lived experiences of tribal members and do not encompass the views of their tribal nation or that of the national park. To learn more about Grand Canyon First Voices visit www.nps.gov slash grca. Here at Grand Canyon National Park we are on the ancestral homelands of the 11 associated tribes of the Grand Canyon.

These being the Havasupai Tribe, the Hualapai Tribe, the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, the Pueblo of Zuni, the Yavapai Apache Nation, the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, the Moapa Band of Paiutes, the Paiute Indian Tribe and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe.