By Brandon Colbert
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — I had the honor of witnessing Alaska Native men and women came together to play in a five-day basketball tournament at the Moseley Sports Center, located at Alaska Pacific University. The event featured three different brackets — men’s, men’s 35-plus, and women’s — and consisted of more than 30 teams from all over Alaska representing their villages.
Despite the natural disaster of Typhoon Halong flooding out several villages and forcing evacuations, Native players still came out to play. The tournament itself has been going on since the 1970s or 1980s, but this was the first year it was livestreamed for anyone who could not make it in person.
Charles Swanson, who used to play and now serves as the tournament announcer, is from the village of Kayouk. He said he loves basketball and getting to see who’s doing what every year — seeing people excel and bringing people together. “Having the media crew makes it easier for me to commentate and enjoy the games,” Swanson said.
Kaare Sikuaq, Alaska coordinator for Rising Voices, Changing Coasts, has been playing basketball all his life. He said, “The tournament is a way of seeing old friends and family come together and feast in unity.” His people and other Alaska Natives have been competitive for thousands of years in various ways and take it very seriously — not to outdo one another, but to help better and sharpen their skills.
On Oct. 18, 2025, organizers plan to take donations for the friends and families affected by Typhoon Halong, which flooded out several villages across Alaska, helping those who are victims of this natural disaster.
The basketball tournament itself brings people together for fun and competitive games. All the teams have strong players who battle until the very end. Hearing all the cheers and support for players representing different villages makes you feel at home away from home, with everybody welcoming you with smiles.
