Lindi Waters III's connection with his people

Author: Nick Gallo Broadcast reporter and digital editor Photography: Zach Beeker November 20, 2021

As part of the Thunder's celebration of Native American Traditions Month, Oklahoma City Blues guard Lindi Waters III shared his deep connection with Keowa and Cherokee ancestors and how he respects these traditions to this day.

A series of eagle feathers hang on the kitchen wall of the Waters family in Norman, Oklahoma. Each feather is decorated with a unique pattern of colorful beads. The care and craftsmanship reserved for the most respected gifts entered the display of those sacred eagle feathers-those that Lindi Waters III had been given throughout his young life. When graduating from Norman North High School and Oklahoma State University, Waters III had eagle feathers on his hat. Not only according to the customs of the Native Americans, but also according to the regulations of the Fish and Wildlife Service in the federal law, eagle feathers can only be passed down from the family or given as a gift from one Native American to another, and must not be given to non- Aboriginal. Only in very rare cases will the eagle feathers leave their safe place at home, but once they leave, there is no room for negligence. "I remember all my friends wanted to touch it, they wanted to feel it," Waters III said of his gifted white eagle feathers. "I told them,'This is special. It is sacred. You can't do that.'" Waters III, whose family is called Trey, went out alone at the age of 24, but from Edmund earlier this month Drive back to Norman in rush hour for 40 minutes, where he now lives, he is Oklahoma City Blue. When he was drawn to the kitchen wall with eagle feathers hanging from it, Trey's left shirt sleeve slid up, revealing an eagle feather tattoo curled up on his forearm. "I really can't keep those eagle feathers by my side all the time, so being able to put them on my body helps remind me who I am," Waters III said. "It keeps me humble. It helps me realize that many others respect me. I have a great responsibility to provide these people with everything they need."

"It makes me work harder, makes me more grateful for the situation and opportunities given to me, and makes me want to leave more than when I first came."-Lindy Waters III

Next to Trey's feather tattoo is a buffalo, which is a symbol of the Kiowa tribe. On Waters' chest, the word Pao-meaning next-had a portrait of his grandfather printed on the opposite side of the pectoral muscles. With the blood of Kiowa and Cherokee flowing through his veins, Waters III was born in the tradition of upholding Native American values, respecting relatives, and embodying dedication. That kind of lineage allowed him to enter the traditions of the indigenous world, but his focus and deliberateness allowed Waters III to gain strength from his lineage.

During his career with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, Waters III conducted a "giveaway" event in which he presented sacred gifts to those who had helped him along the way. Some of Trey’s coaches, staff, and teammates received Pendleton blankets traditionally designed by Native Americans. These blankets were designed to be passed on to others and rarely kept for themselves. "Most of the time, when we get (a Pendleton blanket), we usually give them back to other people," Waters III said. "It just shows that there are always other people who need help, and there are always people who enter your life in ways that you will never understand, and you never expect to help you." In fact, a Pendleton blanket in Waters' home It was given to Trey's father, Lindy, at the funeral of Trey's grandmother. The gray blanket was first spread on the coffin, and then draped on Xiao Lindi as a comforting hug, symbolizing that Xiao Lindi's mother will always be with her family.

Other tokens that Waters III gave to others in the giveaway included a statuette from The Guardian and a replica of the huge artwork created by Enoch Kelly Haney, which is now located in Okla. The top of the dome of the Oklahoma State Capitol in Homer City. "The Guardian" depicts a Native American warrior holding a spear with the tip stuck to the ground. When the warrior faces east, there is a rope around the wooden spear shaft tied to his ankle, gazing at the threat to the Native American people. The Guardian on the top of the State Capitol is an unnamed monument, representing people with names like Chief Red Tippi or Satank (sitting bear), and their descendants. The Waters family came from these two great men, including the sentry on the Kiowa land in the middle of the country. A large portrait of Satank hangs in Waters’ dining room. He presides over Lindy III, his mother Lisa and sisters Lena, Loren and Lindsay like a proud but vigilant grandparent. "Seeing the photos of my ancestors and their stories helps shape who I am and helps me work for those who preceded me," Waters III said. Waters III added: "It gives me something to stand by and a reason to stay here." "It makes me realize that I need to help my people in any way, just like my ancestors. Help everyone the same.” Although there is almost a gallery of Native American artifacts in the family, Waters’ family traditions have given Trey a deeper understanding of his roots. At the age of 10, each of Waters’ siblings went to Washington, DC with Little Lindy to give a history class about the United States of America, especially in Trey’s case, the history of his people. The year Lindy Jr. and Lindy III hiked to the U.S. Capitol was the same year that the Smithsonian National Museum of American Indians opened. The same portrait of Satank that hangs in the Waters restaurant is also hung on the third floor wall of the Smithsonian Museum.

Knowing your history is one way to identify your root cause. Practical experience is also important, which is why the Waters family often drove to the Stokes Stampede in Talquay, Oklahoma to participate in the Cherokee Stampede, which usually lasts several days at a time. As Trey said, more than a dozen people stood guard at the entrance of the trampling site, ready to pick up the car and turn around if the passengers had no local ancestry. After entering the sacred venue, this is a vibrant festival. The dancers keep the fire and spirit alive for several hours during the competition, because the turtle shells and cans filled with shells and the singing of the national anthem provide the background music for this occasion . Every day, one pig is slaughtered and the meat is evenly distributed to all the families present. On the morning of the last day of the party, the children will relax and play a baseball game-a variation of lacrosse, where the player uses a soft wooden stick covered with a little webbing to throw the ball towards a fish sitting on a stick On the pole, while avoiding being hit and resolved. "No foul. No free throws," Waters III said with a smile. Back in Norman, the Waters family also paid tribute to their Kiowa heritage by participating in a POW event at the Lloyd Noble Center on the University of Oklahoma campus. As in most families, food is the main source of pride for pow wows. Trey described the Indian tacos made by his family — fried bread with beans, meat, etc. — undeniably delicious. "No one makes pancakes like my grandmother and aunt," Waters III said.

After he roamed the hall and checked all the suppliers on pow wows, Trey would watch song and dance competitions, which were set up as a steady drumbeat. Pow wows will last all night, even if Trey fainted in his seat before 1:00 in the morning "I just remember to listen to music, and fall asleep as they sing their traditional songs, and then get lost, how do they dance, how do they Stick to their rhythm," Waters III recalled. In his college days, Waters III spent more time at the Gallagher-Iba Arena than at the Lloyd’s Noble Center because he promised to be Stillwater’s Oklahoma Play for the State Cowboys. There, he participated in the Nike N7 game against Charleston College on November 18, 2018. The Cowboys wore a special turquoise jersey to pay tribute to the Native Americans. In the same season, the Thunder launched their 2018-19 Native American-themed city version jersey, which attracted Trey's attention to a large extent. "It's huge. It inspired me," Waters III said. "There are still more people acknowledging Native Americans and our traditions, which makes me more peaceful."

When Trey ended his visit to his family home in early November (Native American Tradition Month), there was another heirloom to show off-the moccasins worn by his great-grandfather born in 1893. Next to those brown, the low-key and very worn shoe is a pair of rustic white moccasins. They only crossed once, back in 2018, when Lindy III was named Indian of the Year at the American Indian Expo celebrations in Anadarko, Oklahoma. This is the annual convention of the Kiowa tribe based near Carnegie. Anadarko was once known as the "Indian Capitol of the United States". Every year, it receives members of the Kiowa and Plains tribes and chooses a person to award them the most prestigious award. Past winners include Willie Nelson, Roy Rogers and Crystal Gale, so when Waters III was selected, not to mention the nomination for this honor, he was stunned. "Until I was named Indian of the Year, I didn't realize my influence on Aboriginal people. This surprised me," Waters III said. "My tribe and my people, I just hope to help them succeed."

In order to honor the recognition of his people, Waters III organized youth basketball training camps in the Southern Plains, from Carnegie to Pahuska, from the entire state of Oklahoma, and even to Lawrence, Kansas. youth. His goal is to be the next role model for indigenous children's trends and to give them a respectable person, whether or not their dream is to participate in sports. When Norman North fought side by side with Trae Young or played in Bedlam with Oklahoma State University, Waters III has long had an inspiring stage, but now as a professional basketball player, he has undertaken more responsibility. He looked at the internal environment of Blue ION, which was the initial training facility for Thunder, where the first generation of great men worked to help build a strong, sustainable organization. Trey hopes to do the same for his people-to respect those before him and to improve those after him. "It just made me work harder, made me more grateful for the situation and opportunity given to me, and made me want to leave it more than when I first came," Waters III said. "The platform I'm on now, being able to play professional games for the Oklahoma City Blues is huge," he added. "I can't write a better platform to help these Indian kids."

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