2023 Native American Heritage Auction

Native American Heritage Jersey Online Auction November 24 - November 30

In celebration of the Minnesota Wild's Native American Heritage game on Friday, November 24, the Wild Foundation will host its Native American Heritage jersey auction. This auction will feature new, unworn custom designed Native American Heritage jerseys autographed by respective members of the 2023 Minnesota Wild. The auction will also feature a one-of-a-kind Marc-André Fleury goalie mask, designed by Prairie Island Indian Community artist Cole Redhorse Taylor. The auction will launch at 3pm on November 24 and close at 9pm on November 30. A portion of proceeds will benefit the Minnesota Wild Foundation and the American Indian Family Center.

About the jersey design

The Minnesota Wild logo was redesigned to include four tipis along the Mississippi River. Saint Paul and the surrounding areas were the traditional and ancestral homeland of the Dakota oyate people, as well as other indigenous people. The redesigned logo includes a representation of the tipis and Dakota homesteads that once lined the shorelines of the Mississippi River.

Minnesota comes from the Dakota name for this region, Mni Sota Makoce - "the land where the waters reflect the skies." The two eagles are important to Dakota communities because it carries prayers to the Creator. Having been in the presence of the Creator, eagles, and their feathers, are considered a blessing.

Pieces of a star quilt are also featured outside the logo. Considered by tribal nations to be an esteemed gift, the star quilt represents resilience following the depletion of the Buffalo. The colors are meaningful to the Dakota oyate, as they represent the four directions: black (west), red (north), yellow (east) and white (south).

About the goalie mask design

This helmet is a truly one-of-a-kind goalie mask made specifically for and autographed by Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, and designed by Cole Redhorse Taylor, a member of the Prairie Island Indian Community.

Cole Redhorse Taylor is Mdewakantunwan Dakota, and a descendant of Chief Little Crow and his people at his historic village of Kaposia, south of downtown Saint Paul. Cole is a multidisciplinary artist, working in the fields of both "traditional" and "western" styles of art making.

Cole was inspired by Fleury's nickname "Flower" to design something that speaks in aesthetics to what is known as "Dakota Florals." Taylor used the color palette of the Minnesota Wild's logo and uniform to dictate the colors used. It was also important for Cole to include the written version of the Dakota language with the words "Mni Sota Makoce," which roughly translates to "Land of the Cloudy Waters." This was the traditional Dakota name of this state's geographical territory. The Dakota language was the first language spoken on the land that the Xcel Energy currently stands on.

American Indian Family Center 

The missions of the American Indian Family Center is to provide American Indian families with programs and services enriched by traditional values and culture. The American Indian Family Center (AIFC) serves approximately 700 American Indian families each year with mental health, recovery, employment, housing, family and youth services. They are a community gathering space for the American Indian community in St. Paul and the East Metro and we are growing to serve more families! To learn more visit https://aifcmn.org/ 

Minnesota Wild Foundation 

The Minnesota Wild Foundation exists to support the game of hockey and improve the lives of families in the State of Hockey. With support from Wild players, fans and donors, the Minnesota Wild Foundation supports pediatric medical causes, serves as the largest non-member funding source for Minnesota Hockey, and provides fundraising opportunities for youth hockey associations across the state. Since its inception in 2009, the Wild Foundation has distributed $5.4 million in grants to hockey organizations and children's medical related charities and has helped local charities raise over $6.8 million through its Split the Pot Raffle program. To learn more visit www.wild.com/foundation