Indigenous Rising Roller Derby
| Metro area | Borderless |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 |
| Track type(s) | Flat |
| Affiliations | WFTDA |
| Org. type | 501(c)3 |
| Website | www |
Indigenous Rising Roller Derby is a borderless roller derby team comprised of skaters from varying Native American, First Nations, and Polynesian heritages.
History
The team was founded in 2017 by Melissa Waggoner (known as Mick Swagger) and April Fournier (Jumpy McGee), both of Diné heritage after receiving Facebook messages urging Waggoner to start an all-indigenous team. For 11 months, Waggoner and Fournier recruited members and used video conference calls to share coaching tips and bring the group together as a team.[1]
Indigenous Rising was built to unite indigenous skaters and emphasize visibility in a predominantly white and middle-class sport.[2]
Indigenous Rising's mission statement: "We are Indigenous Rising. We are the Original Nations of the Americas. We are Indigenous athletes, coaching staff, officials and volunteers. The mission and purpose of Indigenous Rising Roller Derby is to unite the Indigenous roller derby community, representing the proud, once-borderless communities in our Ancestral Lands on these continents. Our Ancestral Home is known by many names: Turtle Island, Abya Yala, Pachamama, and thousands more. We are committed to strengthening the sport of flat track roller derby, the athletes who play it, and the Indigenous peoples throughout the hemisphere by representing First Nations people in tournaments around the world."[3]
Indigenous Rising is the first of many borderless roller derby teams, meaning the team is bound by heritage and diaspora rather than geographic region. At least 25 sovereign nations are represented by over 60 skaters.[4]
The team's logo was designed by Digital Navajo, an indigenous-owned design studio in 2021. The design was created to speak to multiple indigenous nations, focusing on the land, sky, and universe.[5]
Competition
The team was first borderless team to be accepted at a world cup, namely the 2018 Roller Derby World Cup in Manchester. Despite not making it to the ranked portion of the cup after losing their second game, Indigenous Rising won against Team Iceland in their first world cup matchup.
Following the team's World Cup debut, the following year it was invited to play against Jewish Roller Derby, another borderless team, in a WFTDA-hosted bout titled "WE ARE NATION: A GAME WITHOUT BORDERS" at the 2019 International WFTDA Championships.[6]
In 2025, Rose City Rollers hosted a tournament in Portland dedicated to borderless teams named the "No Borders Derby Tournament." The featured teams were Black Diaspora Roller Derby, Fuego Latino Roller Derby, Indigenous Rising Roller Derby, Jewish Roller Derby, SALAAM Roller Derby, and Desi Roller Derby.[7]
References
- ↑ https://colorlines.com/article/read-how-team-indigenous-decolonizing-roller-derby/%7Ctitle= Colorlines on Team Indigenous
- ↑ https://www.dogdaysmagazine.com/team-indigenous-had-to-happen/%7Ctitle= Indigenous Rising History
- ↑ https://teamindigenous.org/pages/about-us%7Ctitle= Mission Statement
- ↑ "Cherokee Nation represented by Indigenous Rising Roller Derby team in international competition". 30 June 2025.
- ↑ https://digitalnavajo.com/team-indigenous-rising%7Ctitle= Digital Navajo on Team Logo
- ↑ https://wftda.com/we-are-nation-a-game-without-borders/%7Ctitle= We Are Nation: A Game Without Borders
- ↑ https://rosecityrollers.com/schedule/no-borders-derby-tournament/%7Ctitle= No Borders Derby Tournament page
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