by By Dan Ninham
All-Montana State team member Dulci SkunkCap will be attending Montana State University Northern and play for the Skylight’s basketball team.
As a senior last season at Browning High School she averaged 12 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.7 steals per game. She was fourth in the state in assists and ranked in the top 10 in six statistical categories in the Northwest A.
“My Indian name is iiniaaki and means Buffalo Women and is a very powerful name in my culture,” said Dulci SkunkCap. “When a storm comes most animals flee but the buffalo heads into the storm. My Indian name was given to me by my paternal grandparents after I completed my reign as North American Indian Days Princess.”
“When I was a little girl I wanted so badly to be a princess so I became one, twice! My NAID title was much more special to me because I did it on my own. My parents have a music business that often keeps them busy in the summer so I took this on myself, and won! I have always done many things on my own, and I try hard to be independent because that’s the way my mom grew up,” added Dulci.
The Skunkcap’s are another basketball family on the ‘rez’. All basketball families are unique and special. Gayle and Katherine ‘Kitty’ SkunkCap are the parents. There are four sister’s in the family: Jenna, 32, Shanelle, 27, Kaylea, 22, and Dulci, 18. Brother Joshua is 13 years old. The family lives on the Blackfeet Reservation in Browning, Montana.
The number five must be significant in the SkunkCap family. The five siblings were born five years apart.
Dulci and her siblings are part Cree, Quinalt, but mostly Blackfeet or Ampskampi pikuni.
Three older sisters excelled on the high school and college basketball court and classroom. The fourth sister will be starting this school year. Younger brother has empowered role models in front of him.
“I excelled at basketball and recently signed to Northern,” said Dulci. “I’ve lettered in volleyball and basketball three times each. In volleyball I’ve had team most blocks and kills for two straight seasons. I was named team captain and voted most valuable player. I received 2x all-conference Honorable Mention and was a 3x Down-Under Invite to represent Montana.”
“As a freshman basketball player, I and four others were selected to play at the junior varsity level to see how we would handle it,” said Dulci. “I averaged over 20 points a game and people would tell me I should be playing varsity.”
“During sophomore year three of us suited varsity and another sophomore and I were starters,” said Dulci. “I didn’t know about stats. I was doing what I love and it turns out I had stats as good as the seniors. I was a key player in putting Browning back on the map leaving me with a highly decorated career. I helped lead us to runner-up and back-to-back conference titles, a district runner-up and title, back-to-back divisional runner-ups and a consolation title, three state tournament appearances, and three consecutive state rankings. I was recognized as Miss Defense, a two-time most steals and assists, an All-tourney first team, a two-time KSEN Player of the week, a two-time captain and three-time all-conference, All-state, and the cherry on top of my senior year, Northwest MVP.”
“I’m the last of four daughters who were all student-athletes,” said Dulci. “I grew up watching and listening to my parents preach over and over how ‘you’re a student before athlete.’ I have a 3.9 GPA and top three in my class. High school was never really hard for me and when it was I was never afraid to ask for help or take rigorous courses such as AP, Honors, or Dual Enrollment. I’m almost finished with my first year of college. My mom told me when I was younger my head was big in the back and the doctors told her that it means I’m going to be smart.”
“My sister’s have all influenced me,” said Dulci. “They’ve all played at the next level.”
“Kaylea is the middle child,” said Dulci. “She played at United Tribes, and helped them to their win of the NJCAA National Basketball Championship before going to Salish Kootenai College (SKC). She’s really my physical piece. In the summers when I get to be home she takes me to do drills in the gym that she did when she was in college. She’s never been afraid to tell me the truth, and she’s my biggest constructive criticizer.”
“Believe it or not Dulci was a cheerleader growing up with her three older sisters who played basketball,” said sister Kaylea. “She was our biggest fan in the stands. Getting older she never wanted to play basketball because of being in a gym constantly. As she got older, she tried out basketball for the first time. They say there’s no such thing as pure talent but she was just a natural. Dulci began to work hard and want to play as hard as each sister getting bigger and better than each of us. She has her bigger and better differences from the way each sister plays.”
“Jenna was smart, the one with good ball movement the one who would pass up a good shot for a great shot. Shanelle was the one to go straight to the hoop and finish strong. I Kaylea was the one to shoot from anywhere and sink a three. As for Dulci, she’s got it all: She can dribble, shoot, drive, anything, if you just tell her what to do and how to do it, she will with no hesitation what so ever,” added Kaylea.
“Watching Dulci through all her years playing basketball she only got stronger, taller and smarter on the court,” said Kaylea. “She is one truly amazing athlete with dedication for each and every teammate she’s ever came across. I put a lot of work into her on my summers home, teaching her things at a college level so she’ll be prepared for a whole new way to play with fundamentals other than ‘rez ball’. I pushed so hard that there were times she’d hate me when we were finished.”
“Dulci is one hard working basketball player and I cannot wait for her to play at the next level this fall. So for that being said get ready for Dulci Rayne SkunkCap on the court and in the books because she’s one hell of a SkunkCap,” added Kaylea.
“Shanelle is the second oldest,” said Dulci. “Shanelle and Kaylea played major roles in turning SKC into a winning team and bringing them an AIHEC title. She’s also earned a degree. She lives three hours away but would rush right over after work just to see me play.”
“Shanelle is the piece that emphasizes my mental strength. I can’t remember the numerous speeches she’s given me about sportsmanship and being able to control myself and never let my opponents or officials see I’m frustrated,” added Dulci.
Shanelle and Kaylea led the SKC Lady Bison in their 2017 American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) Tribal College Basketball DI National Championship. Shanelle was named the AIHEC Tournament MVP. Kaylea was on the All Tournament Team.
Shanelle talked about her younger sister Dulci: “I had the privilege to watch Dulci grow into the person she is on and off the court. What I love most about her game is she has the skill and the mind set of being a fierce competitor and has a high basketball IQ. One thing she was taught was to always keep positive, have fun, and to always be ‘coachable’. With that, she is always working on improving her skills and asking for tips to help her be more dominant on the offensive and defensive end of the court. Her basketball IQ and court awareness along with her height, length, and physicality make her capable of playing any positions on the floor competitively.”
“Jenna is the oldest but so far has the biggest shadow,” said Dulci. “She had a very successful high school career. She went on to play in Canada and then United Tribes where she was inducted into the Hall of Fame, earned a degree, and they retired her jersey. She came back home to earn her bachelor’s degree at U of M and now works in the school district. She’s my motivation piece, really where it all started. Few leave the reservation for athletics and even fewer have success stories. She’s done it all, leave, play, graduate, and come back.”
Out of a stellar high school career at Browning HS, Jenna signed at Lethbridge College in Alberta, Canada. As a starter, she helped the Kodiaks win a national title at the 2007 National Championships. She had a baby, took a year off of college, and then transferred to United Tribes.
“Dulci is a naturally talented young lady,” said sister Jenna. “She comes from an athletic family. She has older sisters who have all had played at the collegiate level. Dulci is very self-disciplined and whatever she puts her mind to she will achieve it. She is the youngest daughter of Gayle and Kitty SkunkCap. They are both a big reason why she is able to play the art of basketball. It’s just in her blood.”
“I was always extremely busy traveling all the time for various reasons which left little time in gyms alone,” said Dulci. “I played with my sisters and mom in women’s basketball tournaments. This really helped me because other teams didn’t care I was young, I was able to fit right in and I had my share of bumps and bruises. We’ve always won or finished near the top and I’ve had the privilege to play with other native athletes such as Ione Chimburas and Koyama Young.”
“I spent time hiking or dancing fancy,” said Dulci. “Unfortunately Covid-19 canceled almost everything so lately I’ve been doing core work. When gyms open up again I’ll have lots of free time to be working on individual things before my first season at MSUN.”
“I could be a bit more confident in my dribbling and shot,” said Dulci. “There’s things I do on my own but was too scared to do in games and that’s probably one of my biggest regrets. I try hard to not be ‘Me’ because basketball is a ‘We’ type of thing so I make a point to know everyone’s strengths. I’ve played with the same two girls the last four years and we really connected on the court so going in to a new team with different players is going to be a new learning experience but there’s always room to grow.”
“The end of my senior season I had a collision to my knee during a game against Havre,” said Dulci. “I was in pain but I tried so hard to not be because the next day we played a conference rival and that game decided who the #1 seed would be. It was also Senior Night. The next day I dosed up, iced up, taped up, really anything you can name just to play, and I dropped the game high 24 points in a three-point win. I finally admitted to my coaches how hurt I was and they did everything to try and make me rest but I hated the thought of resting with tournaments right around the corner. I was at the point of being mentally and physically drained.”
“I finally accepted I needed to rest and after the divisional tournament, I went in and found out everything was still intact. I had some trauma to my knee and slight swelling which would heal with some antibiotics and RICE. I was taught to trust that God has a plan. I feel that was his way of saying I was at my limits and needed to take it easy because when I came back I felt even better,” added Dulci.
“My family always prays with me before I head into the locker room,” said Dulci. “They always tell me, ‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper.’ In tight games I take a deep breath, and think and tell myself, ‘Okay I can do this, you’re not tired, play your game.’ I feel my mom always knows when I do this because I always look for her in the crowds and she’s already looking at me. She gives me a nod and I just go.”
“Grief is a tough subject, some like to avoid talking about it but the affects are simply inescapable,” said Dulci. “Two weeks before my junior year I lost a close friend, more like a sister for me, to suicide. I’ve never lost anyone close to me and I knew it was bound to happen but by suicide and my best friend? It was like everything I thought I knew was burned right in front of me. I was always very timid at first, and she was the total opposite. She was the type to walk in a room and you can just feel her positive energy. She’s the person who encouraged me to go out for sports and just be me. I blamed myself for the longest time, she wanted to come over that weekend but I was already out of town. I lost a lot of passion for the things I loved. I went into a depression, and it just felt so wrong to continue to do the things I started with her. It really showed on the court, all of my stats dropped and I often sold myself short on everything. Her birthday just so happened to land on the Divisional Championship. I left the team hotel room late the night before because I just wanted the comfort of my mom.”
“I finally let out everything that was bothering me, and was told I have to forgive myself and play for a bigger purpose. I ended up dropping the game high that night, and after that I got better. I spent a lot of time with someone who was just as competitive as me, which was a little frustrating but it made me want to push again. I regained my passion for sports. She used to always hype me up about playing at the next level saying she knows I could do it and I’m so lucky for everything I have. I didn’t want to continue playing at all my junior year but when I changed my mindset I remembered she wanted me to succeed just as much as I did. When I signed it was a reminder to me that I’m not done,” added Dulci.
“I’m super excited for my next journey at Northern,” said Dulci. “I’ve had the privilege to meet the new recruits and some current teammates and I feel so welcomed here. I have a whole community supporting me here and back home.”
“Dulci comes from a basketball family and good program at Browning High School,” said Chris Mouat, head women’s basketball coach at Montana State University Northern. “Plus, she has a good understanding of the game. One thing that really jumped at me about her was her ability to handle the ball in transition and make plays. She has the ability to play a number of positions on the floor and has really good length.”
“Dulci is also a great student with a high GPA. She is simply a great addition to our program and university. I think that she is only going to continue to improve at the college level and that she has a very bright future. We are excited to have her joining our program,” added Coach Chris.
“I have a lot of new eyes on me and I want to be the best role model I can for younger generations,” said Dulci.
Photo Credit: John McGill, Editor, Glacier Reporter
