The annual Lakota Nation Invitational begins today with a wide range of activities and competitions running through Saturday.
There are athletic competitions, Lakota cultural activities, e-sports, art exhibits, and more.
Today’s highlights include the wrestling tournament, oral interpretation of literature and original oratory, the opening of the week-long STEAM Expo covering science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics, and the traditional Red Carpet Welcome this afternoon.
All LNI events are now at The Monument, still known to many as the expanded Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, with all 3 arenas – the Barnett, Ice, and Summit – being used for the signature basketball tournament, which starts tomorrow.
Craig Baltzer, executive director of the Monument, is excited to finally have things back to normal.
The LNI was canceled by COVID in 2020 while its return in 2021 required working around construction of The Summit Arena. Last year’s LNI was nearly canceled by winter storms.
The Lakota Nation Invitational began in 1976 as a boy’s basketball tournament, but in the decades that have followed has grown into a major event with not just sports but educational and cultural programs.
Baltzer says the LNI has a “substantial” impact on the Rapid City community, not just for the local economy but for its culture as well.
Elevate Rapid City CEO Tom Johnson says the Native American community spends about $100-million dollars a year in Rapid City, creating about 1,500 jobs, with the LNI providing a nice end-of-the-year boost.
For a full schedule of LNI events, go online to www.lakotanationinvitational.com.