Dak Prescott and His Dreamcatcher: Native American Heritage Month 2023

We will begin Native American Heritage Month 2023 with a current player, Dak Prescott.

There are only a handful of Native American players in the league along with Dak Prescott, like Keenan Allen, Creed Humphrey, James Winchester, and Malcolm Rodriguez.

It is important to honor Native Americans who impacted the league in the past and current players who can serve as role models and inspirations for children today. In addition to the unique cultural impact they have on the league today,

Dak Prescott’s Multi-Cultural Background

Dak Prescott was raised in the country of Louisiana, in the town of Sulpher. He attributes his racial makeup and cultural background as a child to his ability to relate to a wide array of individuals. He feels he can find commonality with just about anyone. Some of his teammates have publicly agreed with his perspective.

His mother’s family is white (for the most part), and his father is black. Dak Prescott can recall literally crossing the “railroad tracks” growing up and spending time with both sides of his family.

Prescott is also proud of his Native American heritage, which comes from his mother’s side. His grandfather, Glyndell Wilbert, is a member of a Native American tribe, the Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb, which is recognized at the Louisiana state level but not federally.

The Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb

The Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb’s official website can be viewed here. Since 1978, the tribe has been recognized by Louisiana and is the second-biggest tribe in Pelican State.

Origin Story

After the Louisiana Purchase, Choctaw individuals were recentered into the same area they are now in by their assigned U.S. Indian Agent, John Sibley, due to conflict with other local Native American tribes. Other Choctaw people settled in the region, looking for new hunting grounds.

These individuals began interacting and integrating with local tribes, as well as formerly captive Lipian Apache women in the area, along with former soldiers and their families from a disbanded fort that had previously held the boundary between “New Spain” and the French.

These former soldiers were either Spanish or of mixed ethnicity, being both Spanish and Indigenous. This indigenous population were non-European Natives from Spanish territories.

The Choctaw tribe signed nine different treaties before the Civil War, with their land slowly being whittled down, i.e., they were losing millions of acres of land. By 1830, the tribe did not have any of their original ancestral land and was centered in the area they are now located in, the Zwolle and Ebarb areas.

Additional land, 180,000 acres of it, was taken in the 1960s and 1970s so the Toledo Bend Reservoir could be built.

The Bands and Clans

The Choctaw tribe is a matriarchal and clan culture. The tribe is separated into two groups: the elders and the youth. There were roughly 12 clans in both groups. Of these 12, we know nine of the clans: Wind, Bear, Deer, Wolf, Panther, Holly Leaf, Bird, Raccoon, and Crawfish.

An individual would first identify themselves as either being of the elder group or the youth group, then their tribe, Choctaw, and lastly their clan.

Other Facts

The tribe’s language is a very specific dialect of Spanish. It is a derivation of rural Mexican Spanish. As of the 1980s, there were only 50 individuals who spoke the specific dialect.

During WWI and WWII, the Choctaw Nation was utilized by the US government to communicate securely as code-talkers.

Historically, the relationships were matrilineal. Meaning that once a man married a woman, he moved in with her extended family. Domestic abuse was exceedingly rare in this model. In the case of a dissolution of the relationship, the custody agreement always remained the same: the extended family would maintain custody.

Women’s “chasteness” is important prior to marriage. The mother-in-law was not allowed to be around her son-in-law at all, removing that nightmare dynamic. However, grandma-in-law wasn’t held to the same rules and was often very present in her grandchildren’s family unit.

Federal Fiasco

As of 2016, the Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb was seeking federal recognition. Out of the 16 tribes in Louisiana, only four of them are recognized federally, along with 562 other tribes countrywide.

There are seven general requirements:

• The petitioner has been identified as an American Indian entity on a substantially continuous basis since 1900
• The petitioner comprises a distinct community and demonstrates that it existed as a community from 1900 until the present
• The petitioner has maintained political influence or authority over its members as an autonomous entity from 1900 until the present
• The petitioner must provide a copy of the entity’s present governing document, including its membership criteria; or in the absence of a governing document, a written statement describing in full its membership criteria and current governing procedures
• The petitioner’s membership consists of individuals who descend from a historical Indian tribe (or from historical Indian tribes that combined and functioned as a single autonomous political entity)
• The petitioner’s membership is composed principally of persons who are not members of any federally recognized Indian tribe
• Neither the petitioner nor its members are the subject of congressional legislation that has expressly terminated or forbidden the Federal relationship

The 1900 date was recently changed in 2015. Prior to that, it would be “prehistoric times” until the present.

Meeting the “burden of proof” can be very difficult due to difficulties in finding official records like census documents. This often costs more money than some tribes are able to pay.

Even when all documents are provided, it can take up to a decade for the US government to process the applications. Even then, historically, tribes have been revoked and readmitted without much clarity. Appeals also often take many years to resolve.

The subjectivity of the process can often make it more complicated.

There is also confusion and concern surrounding being federally recognized. There are resources, often fiscal, that come with federal recognition. However, there is no one agency that regulates resources allocated to all 566 tribes.

The level of oversight from a federal organization differs as much as the finances provided. Some tribes do not welcome or are uncertain about regulation from a government that historically has performed poorly.

Dak Prescott’s Dreamcatcher Tattoo

Dak Prescott honors his Native American roots with his dreamcatcher tattoo on his throwing shoulder and upper arm. He feels connected to that particular part of his culture.

Adjacent to Dak Prescott’s dreamcatcher tattoo is another one comprised of feathers, smoke, wind, and two turtles.

Let’s explore the traditional meaning behind each object Dak Prescott selected for his arm tattoo. You can catch it around the 1st minute of the below video.

 

The Dreamcatcher

The meaning of the dreamcatcher differs by tribe.

The dreamcatcher is thought to have originated with the Chippewa tribe. Asibikaashi, or the “spider woman,” was a mother figure of sorts who protected people, especially children. The dreamcatcher was a physical representation of this mother figure.

In the Lakota Nation, the dreamcatcher is associated with a trickster god, Iktomi. The god is often represented by a spider. The dreamcatcher ends up representing the web of life, with it filtering out the bad and cultivating the good societally.

Feathers

The predominant significance of feathers in Native American culture is the connection between the Creator, the feather owner, and the bird, the feather carrier. Feathers are associated with high honor, power, wisdom, trust, strength, and freedom. As a result, they are sky gifts of sorts.

Smoke

The meaning behind smoke appears to be tied to the smoking of tobacco. The sacred pipe is a holy object, and smoking is a sacrament. Tobacco was a form of communication between man and spiritual beings. The feelings felt while consuming nicotine are associated with this communication. The smoke coming in and out is a physical representation of the communication entering and leaving a person’s body.

Wind

For some tribes, wind can follow a similar concept as smoke—the communication between an individual and higher powers.

There is also the common concept of the “four winds.” The Lakota tribe, in particular, perceives the world as having four directions that are symbolized by colors. The colors of the Lakota will be discussed, but they differ by the tribe.

East – Yellow

The direction in which the sun comes, the dawn of the day, and the beginning of insight. The direction people point to for wisdom

South – White

The sun is highest here. Represents warmth and growth. All life comes from the south, and when someone dies, they return to the south.

West – Black

The west, where the sun goes down, is the end of the day and the end of life. Thunder and rain are sent from the west, and water is vital to life, so the west is crucial.

North – Red

Cold, harsh winds come from the north. Very cleansing winds. This direction is mostly associated with hardships and discomfort, which represent the trials people experience in life.

Turtles

The meaning of the turtle also differs depending on the tribe. However, the turtle representing Mother Earth is basically universal.

Turtles are associated with the following things: healing, wisdom, spirituality, health, safety, longevity, protection, and fertility.

For some tribes, the turtle helped out with the creation process. The turtle is believed to dive into the waters to collect mud to make Mother Earth.

The shell can also represent protection and perseverance through the red winds.

Back to Dak Prescott

It’s beautiful that Dak Prescott connected such important imagery together in the form of a tattoo. He identifies with his culture, and he proudly displays it on his throwing arm.

Dak Prescott is often associated with being both black and white, but it’s important to emphasize his Native American heritage as well. He is a role model to everyone; he won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2022 after all, but importantly, he can be a special role model to children who deserve to know they are represented in the NFL.

Curious about that Walter Payton Man of the Year award Dak Prescott got? Learn more about Walter Payton and his award here.