New Lummi Nation School soccer pitches possible through 2026 World Cup committee
The Lummi Nation celebrated the opening of two new miniature soccer pitches at Lummi Nation School on Tuesday.
The pitches were built in collaboration with the 2026 World Cup Local Organizing Committee, the Seattle Sounders and Seattle Reign charitable organization, RAVE.
October 14 was specifically chosen for the ribbon-cutting ceremony in honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day the day before.
“In our culture, we caretake the land, we caretake the people, and the indigenous aspects of taking care of our health and fitness and mind. So we strategically chose this day so we could do three things: acknowledge Indigenous Peoples’ Day, acknowledge this land and do a ribbon-cutting,” Lummi Nation School Lead Principal, Dr. Heather Leighton, told The Bellingham Herald in an interview.
The celebration included a 10-minute scrimmage on the new pitches featuring the students, the Lummi Nation School mascots, the Blackhawks, the Seattle Sounders’ mascot, Sammy the Orca and former Seattle Sounders player Brad Evans.
Speeches and a song by the Lummi Blackhawks were also a part of the celebration.
“I am truly overjoyed. This is my dream come true. I grew up here, on Lummi and in town on our ancestral land, playing and running around, kicking a soccer ball. This is a dream to have a soccer (field) in my backyard and now you guys do,” Lummi Nation Tribal member Temryss Lane told The Herald.
The miniature soccer pitches are 40 feet by 80 feet and are located behind the Lummi Nation School. The pitches are available to students during recess and will be used by the P.E. classes. They will also be available for public use, according to Leighton.
“We keep our gate open so it is actually available to anybody who wants to use it in our community,” Leighton told The Herald. “It’s very much so, like our football field is, available for all community use.”
The morning before the celebration, a spiritual ceremony was held to bless the pitches.
“It was to protect the children while they play,” Lummi elder Shirley Bob, Aunty Shirley, told The Herald. “The ancestors were really happy to have a sports field. It’s a blessing to our community.”
Leighton said she was first contacted last spring by the Lummi Indian Business Council and told about the opportunity for the World Cup to acknowledge the indigenous land. The school had to provide a small portion of the funding in order to prep the land for the pitches, but the rest of the funding was provided by the RAVE Foundation and the World Cup.
The RAVE Foundation and the World Cup had a goal to create 26 mini-pitches across Washington by 2026, but they reached that goal early. As a result, they decided to build an additional 26 mini-pitches before the original deadline, according to Aaron Aspelund with Pyramid Communications. The two built at Lummi Nation School are part of the second round of builds.
Along with the construction of the two pitches, all 416 students at the Lummi Nation School received their own custom soccer ball and backpack.
“Sports build confidence, teamwork and resilience,” said Lummi Nation Chairman Anthony Hillaire in a statement about the new pitches. “They also help young people connect with who they are, which is critical. We have a lot of games to look forward to here!”
.jpg)