On trip to Alaska, Seattle Seahawks legends find an appreciation of Indigenous culture

A trio of former Seattle Seahawks sat in a big group outdoors on the Alaska Native Heritage Middle on a sunny night this week as a younger athlete demonstrated a two-foot excessive kick, a conventional motion that exams each power and stability.

Steve Largent, a former Seahawks receiver who was inducted into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame in 1995, was clearly impressed by the feat. The 67-year-old took a stroll up to check out the ball suspended within the air, sized it up and gave it a operating begin earlier than deciding to abort the try.

Largent is on an annual journey that former Seahawks make to the Final Frontier as a part of a community-based outreach coordinated with the Mat-Su Sea Hawkers, the staff’s official native booster membership.

Largent, ex-quarterback Jim Zorn and former center linebacker Orlando Huff took in quite a lot of cultural exhibitions, together with Indigenous songs and dances, on Thursday night on the Alaska Native Heritage Middle.

The Corridor of Fame wideout has visited Alaska almost two dozen occasions and says that he has “actually come to like and respect the individuals right here in addition to every thing else about Alaska.” He mentioned he particularly loved the musical performances.

“I used to be actually impressed with the entire Native American sounds and dancing,” Largent mentioned.

Throughout the remainder of their time within the state, the trio will go to the Alaska Native Medical Middle and the Ronald McDonald Home, and return to the Heritage Middle to satisfy with extra members of the Alaska Native neighborhood. They’ll additionally assist ship off Particular Olympics athletes to nationals, go fishing and sightsee.

“I’ve been coming to Alaska since I used to be a Seahawk in my younger days,” mentioned Zorn, who added that he visits Alaska a few times a 12 months. “To come back to this heritage heart and watch the dedication and dedication of the individuals who carried out and created right here is fairly superb.”

Largent mentioned that his former quarterback requested him to hitch him on this 12 months’s journey. He fortunately accepted the invitation and flew up from Oklahoma, which is the place he’s from and the place he presently lives.

“I’ve all the time appreciated the Native American tradition and other people, and the love that they’ve for different individuals,” Largent mentioned.

Huff, who final performed within the NFL in 2006, is the youngest of the bunch at 43 years previous and is having fun with his third go to to the state. He mentioned he’s all the time desirous to take part each time the Seahawks contact him about collaborating in considered one of their many outreach endeavors.

“They’re massive on philanthropy, and yearly they do a variety of charity occasions to present again, to boost consciousness and to unfold the message of what the Seahawks do different than simply play soccer,” Huff mentioned.

He mentioned the Seahawks and Vice President of Group Outreach Mike Flood continually attain out to former gamers round and out of doors of Seattle to ask for his or her help in occasions, just like the journey to Alaska.

“It takes a coronary heart to present again, and I’m a type of those who like to present again, meet individuals, and I see the happiness on the faces of the children and Seahawks followers,” Huff mentioned.

He believes that Indigenous tradition is what makes Alaska, and with out it “there could be no Alaska.” He was intrigued by not solely the songs carried out on the Alaska Native Heritage Middle, but in addition the cultural significance behind them.

“Listening to the tales, songs and what they imply is essential to study to grasp how issues have been again within the day, what they used to get by,” Huff mentioned.

Up to now, contingents of Seahawks have visited Kotzebue and Kodiak, they usually’re now making extra of an effort to get out to a few of the extra distant communities in rural Alaska.

“It’s simply actually nice to see effort by a nationwide group not solely coming to Alaska, however they’re making a degree to satisfy and go to with Indigenous individuals of this state — which is admittedly necessary and funky,” mentioned Emily Edenshaw, president and CEO of the Alaska Native Heritage Middle.