By Michelle Wenz
ONEIDA RESERVATION (WFRV) – The Oneida Nation and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB) are deepening their long-standing partnership through two upcoming sporting events celebrating Native American Heritage Month.November’s Native American Heritage Month offers a meaningful time to recognize the deep history and continued presence of Indigenous communities in Wisconsin. While Native Americans make up under one percent of the state’s population, their cultural and historical contributions are woven through all corners of Wisconsin life.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Native Americans make up roughly 1 to 1.5 percent of Wisconsin’s total population, depending on whether individuals identifying as Native American alone or in combination with another race are included.
Wisconsin is home to 11 federally recognized tribes, reflecting a long and significant Indigenous presence across the state.
In Brown County, the population has grown steadily in recent years, with estimates ranging from about 269,000 in 2023 to more than 278,000 in 2025. The 2020 Census recorded 268,740 residents, highlighting modest but consistent growth in the region.
In the Fox Valley Region, the legacy of centuries of Native habitation along the Fox River reminds residents that this land has been home to Indigenous people for thousands of years.
Over the past year, the Oneida Nation and UWGB have collaborated on new ways to honor their shared local history and commitment to education and culture. As part of that effort, UWGB will unveil a new men’s basketball jersey designed by Oneida Nation citizen and UWGB student Jossalyn Metoxen. The jersey will make it’s debut on Monday, November 3, during the Phoenix men’s basketball game against the Jawhawks.
Later in the month, on Saturday November 29, UWB will host Haskell Indian Nations University, a college in Kansas serving students from across the U.S., for a men’s basketball exchange game at the Kress Center. During the game, UWGB and the Oneida Nation will share more about the meaning and cultural elements behind the new jersey design.
“We are honored to celebrate our enduring relationship with Oneida Nation in this way,” said Chancellor Michael Alexander.
“This partnership is rooted in mutual respect and a shared commitment to honoring Indigenous ways. Celebrating Native American Heritage Month together is more than symbolic, it’s a commitment to student success, cultural understanding and community connection.”
The jersey’s design incorporates traditional Haudenosaunee pottery designs and sky domes, which symbolize protection and the connection between the sky and the earth.
Long-term plans for additional programming between the Oneida Nation and UWGB are already in development, continuing a partnership built on mutual respect, education, and cultural pride.