Stella Standingbear Performs at Halftime for the Thunder’s Native American Heritage Night

Oglala Lakota artist Stella Standingbear performed at halftime for the Oklahoma City Thunder on Nov. 4, during the team’s Native American Heritage Night at Paycom Center.

The Thunder beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 124–116. The night also included an invocation by Gary Whitecloud of the Otoe-Missouria Native American Church and the Oklahoma City Public Schools Native American Student Color Guard, the team said. Earlier that day, the Thunder hosted about 2,000 students from Oklahoma tribal nations for its seventh annual Native American Student Day.

It was Standingbear’s second NBA halftime show, after the Phoenix Suns, and she says it made history. She describes herself as the first solo Native American woman in hip-hop to headline halftime for both teams, a claim IND could not independently verify. Either way, the night is the latest way she is pushing boundaries as an independent artist.

“Every time I step into these spaces, I carry my people with me,” she said in a statement. “I’m truly honored to have the support of Indian Country. They’re the ones who helped get me here.”

Her “Mmhmm” remix featuring Paul Wall spent nine weeks on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart, peaking at No. 31. She recently headlined her first tour, the Off the Rez Tour, across the U.S. and Canada, with sold-out shows in Las Cruces, Farmington and Seattle, she told IND. On Oct. 29, she released her EP Rap Star 2. Her team says she is a two-time Native American Music Award winner.

“From the Phoenix Suns to the Native American Music Awards, Billboard, and now the Oklahoma City Thunder, these moments mean so much more than just my career,” she said. “I hope young Indigenous kids can see themselves in these spaces and know that they belong there, too. We’re just getting started.”