Medicine Ball: Basketball, Boarding Schools & the Power of Native Storytelling

Dakota/Diné filmmaker Leya Hale, producer of the powerful documentary Medicine Ball will share her inspiring film where Leya explores how the game of basketball — introduced in Indian boarding schools — became a source of resilience, cultural pride, and community strength for Native athletes and their families. The film follows the journeys of Native college basketball players as they navigate life on a campus with a complex history, revealing how sport can be a bridge between past and present and a catalyst for empowerment.

Presenter: Leya Hale, Dakota/Dine’ filmmaker