The Major League Baseball (MLB) team, Seattle Mariners have announced a long-term, extensive collaboration with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and its tribal company, Muckleshoot Casino Resort.
Through this partnership, in which the brand has become the exclusive casino partner, the groups will be able to work together to have an influence on the larger community throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Catie Griggs, Seattle Mariners, President of Business Operations, said, “This partnership is the result of two organizations coming together who share common values and beliefs. We’re excited to celebrate the Tribe’s culture and traditions with fans at T-Mobile Park, while providing enhanced baseball and softball access to more children throughout our region.”
Junior Maldonado, Muckleshoot Casino Resort Executive Director of Gaming Operations, said, “Indigenous culture is steeped in game play as a way to strengthen communities, nurture resilience, and advance wellness. These connective values drive our shared identity with the Mariners. We are grateful for the opportunity to educate fans on the Muckleshoot heritage as this region’s first caretakers and to empower new generations to dream bigger.”
In this deal, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and the Mariners will hold five baseball and softball camps with former collegiate and professional athletes serving as the trainers in places where there hasn’t been much access to baseball and softball programming. At the Muckleshoot Tribal School, the groups will collaborate to construct a brand-new after-school baseball and softball youth development program. Middle school children will be the project’s primary target, as they have the biggest drop-off in access to play among all age groups.
The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe will also support groups that work towards equality and justice and improve the health and vitality of the neighbourhood, which are among the main areas of interest of the Mariners Care Foundation. These groups include the Fund for Inclusive Recovery of the Seattle Foundation, which assists in meeting the urgent needs of those most affected by the pandemic, and the Downtown Emergency Service Center, which provides low-barrier health care, survival assistance, and permanent housing to thousands of homeless and formerly homeless people.
The Muckleshoot Diamond Club, which was launched in March, includes tribal art and mural projects incorporated throughout the opulent area. The artwork displays the Muckleshoot Tribe’s strong ties to the area, from hand-carved canoes and paddles to baseball bats decorated with Coast Salish designs. Furthermore, the region is thoughtfully decorated with a variety of wall maps depicting the Tribe’s historical hunting and fishing regions and old photographs documenting its migration. Four outdoor Diamond Club chairs with spearhead designs have been used to commemorate community members who are having a positive effect.
Fans can also dine at the Muckleshoot Diamond Club during specific homestands and enjoy food with a tribal theme. Fry bread, burlap-steamed Manila clams, salmon cake sliders, and other items are among the new menu items developed in collaboration with Muckleshoot Casino Executive Chef Andreas Hartmann and his culinary staff.
For the forthcoming Native American Heritage Night hosted by Muckleshoot Casino Resort on August 28, Muckleshoot Tribal artisans developed a limited-edition Mariners jersey that will be distributed to the first 10,000 visitors who enter the gates who are 21 years of age or older. The Mariners will celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ history and culture throughout the whole game.