by By Dan Ninham
Historically, the Anishinaabeg migrated from southeastern Canada westward and travelled through and around Haudenosaunee territories. There was eventually a wampum belt made that was called the friendship belt. The symbols on each end represented the two nations: Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee joined together by a path of peace. There will always be an open path between the nations.
“My Indian name is Nawegabo and means ‘she stands halfway.’ I am 17 years old and am from Oneida, Wisconsin. I am a senior at Oneida Nation High School,” said Shania Barber.
“I am a part of the Oneida Nation and Wolf Clan but am enrolled with the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe,” said Shania.
“I started to play sports in elementary school because I had already been introduced to them through my older sister,” said Shania. “Tiara is two years older than me and I had been watching her play volleyball and basketball until I was old enough to start joining the teams myself.”
“Throughout school, I have played volleyball, basketball, softball, lacrosse, and ran track,” added Shania.
“I compete for my family, teammates, coaches, community, and for myself,” said Shania.
“I have been very successful in the classroom as a high-honor student and had all of my high school credits to graduate as a junior,” said Shania. “I am currently taking dual-credit courses through Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) to get ahead with my schooling.”
“One of my main athletic accomplishments includes winning a gold medal for Team Wisconsin in the 2017 North American Indigenous Games for 14U basketball,” said Shania. “Another accomplishment that I have recently achieved would be contributing to a 4-2 record volleyball season as team captain. We also made it to the regional championship but ended up losing to Algoma in the last game.”
“Being a part of a tribal school and representing my tribe has always been honorable to me,” said Shania. “The Oneida Nation has a strong community full of supportive members as well as role-models. There are many Oneida athletes that have always inspired me to be better as an individual while competing. After playing for the Oneida Nation High School sports teams, community members started to approach me that I had never met before. I find that to be very inspiring as an athlete because it shows that the members of my tribe are supportive of me as well as the Oneida teams that I’ve played for.”
“I have been a part of the Oneida Nation School System since kindergarten and have always had a strong connection with many of the members of my community. There is endless love and support within our school system that transfers over to the sports programs. As an athlete, it is very heart-warming to know that there are so many people that are supporting you and it really motivated me to be a better athlete over the years.”
Artley Skenandore, ONHS Athletic Director, talked about one of the school’s leaders: “Shania Barber is a very focused young lady that will achieve her goals as she looks toward graduation this year from ONHS. An exceptional leader on the court and in the classroom. Shania is a leader by example, first to practice and last to leave, demonstrating a willingness to invest in hard work to make a difference!”
Shania is positively influenced by her family, coaches, and my teammates. Some of her mentors include her parents Paul and Tami Barber, sisters Tiara and Mariah Barber, and her former basketball coach Jamie Betters.
“My parents always make sure I am on time to practice, have the right equipment to play each sport to the best of my potential, and give me feedback after each game,” said Shania. “They taught me the importance of being a teammate rather than just an athlete and I feel that it was the most game-changing thing for me to do mindset-wise. By bettering myself as a teammate, I was also able to improve my own game individually by trying to achieve the main goal of winning rather than trying to prove my worth as a player.”
“Competition has always been a part of Shania and her sister’s lives,” recalled dad Paul Barber. “Be it GPA’s or athletics, they have compared their achievements between themselves which has led them to work a little harder.”
“Education has always been the forefront and it has shown in Shania being the valedictorian when she graduated from middle school and is in the running to be the same for her high school graduation. She has also recently received word that she is being bestowed the honor of joining ‘WLUK FOX 11’s the Best of the Class’ for the year 2021,” added Paul.
“Our family has believed that hard work results in rewards,” said Paul. “Whenever grades came in, if they were good, we would take the family out to dinner or buy them something they had been wanting as a reward. The same would hold true for sporting events.”
Her parents have always been ardent supporters of Shania and her sisters. They would try to attend every game possible and always encouraged them to be proud of their efforts, win or lose, as long as they did their best.
“Shania has always had a great personality and attitude. These traits are what makes Shania a good teammate as she often encourages her teammates to let a bad play or result go and concentrate on what is coming next. She can be heard cheering her teammates on. It is this attitude which resulted in her being named team captain for the 2021 volleyball team,” added Paul.
“Shania has learned that having a proper diet makes a difference in how one feels,” said Paul. “She rarely drinks soda and often will be the one who is making different juices, smoothies, etc… She has also been helping out at the Oneida cannery where she helps prepare indigenous foods for the Oneida community. The practice of eating right seems to elevate her energy levels as she not only does schoolwork and athletics, but also has been working since she was 15 years old.”
“Shania knows that training to be her best is also important,” added Paul.
Tami Barber also talked about her daughter Shania with academics and athletics: “Shania has always been a hard-worker and an awesome student. She has always been eager to learn and challenge herself. She has always focused on excelling in her school work.”
“Shania won a gold medal for Team Wisconsin at the 2017 Indigenous Games for basketball. She has been the catcher for the Oneida Nation HS varsity softball team as well as the Oneida summer league team since eight grade. All throughout middle and high school, she has played all-around in volleyball but was challenged with the setter position this year. Even though the volleyball season was short due to COVID-19, she did very well as a first-year setter,” added Tami.
“Shania has been taking multiple college courses throughout her senior year and had enough high school credits to graduate her junior year. I am often complimented by coaches and teachers of Shania’s work ethic as well as leadership skills and friendliness. They oftentimes will also comment on her willingness to help others succeed. Along with maintaining straight A’s and varsity sports, Shania has been working since she was a sophomore at the age 15. We are very proud of her and are very excited to see what kind of accomplishments she will achieve in the future,” added Tami.
“Shania is an outstanding student athlete,” said Jaisah Lee, head coach of the ONHS volleyball team. “This was her senior year and she took on a new role. We did not have any setters this year and during our first week of practice I noticed she would be a good fit. She really embraced this new role and wanted to be the best she could be for the team.”
“Shania became the quarterback of the team and in the beginning it was a struggle but she was willing to put the effort in. That meant coming into practice early a couple of times to go over footwork, building connections with our hitters, and learning how to run the offense,” added Jaisah.
“In order to have the best senior season Shania really stepped out of her comfort zone to learn a new position and did what it took to help her team out,” said Jaisah. “Shania was also our floor captain and helped the team out in situations when we were struggling. She is a great athlete and leader.”
“As a senior, Shania had a lot of responsibilities and I admire her dedication to not only the game of volleyball but to school, family, and her teammates. We could always rely on Shania,” added Jaisah.
“My sisters, Tiara and Mariah, are very close in age with me so they have always been there to practice with me as well as compete with to keep me motivated,” said Shania. “I have had the chance to play softball, volleyball, and basketball with each of my sisters and I feel that they have each bettered my game without actually trying to.”
“Growing up with Shania, I’ve learned that she has always been dedicated to being a student-athlete,” said sister Tiara. “She is always working towards being the best she can be in anything she competes in. Being able to watch her grow as a student, athlete, and person has been an honor. She is always able to overcome any obstacle that comes her way.”
“Shania and I have been able to compete on the same sports teams these past couple of years. Although we didn’t compete together, we both went to Canada for the Native American Indigenous Games and were right by each other’s side cheering one another the whole time. Having my sister by my side made the high school experience unforgettable In the best way you could have ever imagine. Watching her achieve in her schooling career has been a blast and I can’t wait to see what she chooses to achieve in next. I am very lucky to have Shania as not only my sister, but as one of my best friends,” added Tiara.
“Jamie Betters has been the most motivating person that I have come into contact with in my life as an athlete,” said Shania. “She has a great way of using her words and making you want to be the best as well as contributing to your team. As a basketball coach, she showed me how to take charge of what I was doing on the court as well as helping me to improve my confidence when playing. She taught me that even though you are competing to win, you also need to make sure you’re still having fun while working towards the goals to be able to win.”
“Jamie has been very encouraging to me with all of my sports and continues to motivate me with how hard-working and determined she is as an individual. I have worked closely with her culturally in the Oneida Cannery and am incredibly thankful for all of the opportunities that I have come across from working with Jamie,” added Shania.
“Shania Barber is an incredible young lady who I’ve had the honor to coach and mentor on and off the court,” said Jamie Betters. “Her dedication and self-drive to do the things she loves with all her heart is commendable. She has the energy people gravitate to because she exuberates love and encouragement. She has a gift of giving grace to those around her while pushing them to achieve more. She is one of the most grounded people that I know who is continually teaching us about our self-worth as she walks the talk and spends her energy on things that make her happy and fulfilled.”
“As an athlete, Shania is driven and committed and is one of the hardest working players that I have had the honor to coach,” said Jamie.
“Shania Barber is more than a scholar athlete,” said Jamie. “She has a connection to our foods and plant life and is always willing to learn and share more. Her successes are contributed to her hard work and supportive family and I’m forever honored to be a part of her support system.”
“The Covid-19 pandemic has been difficult for everyone to live with,” said Shania. “It has taught me to appreciate the quality time I spend with my friends and that it is important to live in the moment. Many people, including myself, took advantage of the ‘next times’ and didn’t really realize the importance of socializing until we had to quarantine. Although it has been hard, we have all adapted to living in masks and being more cautious of what we do.”
“As an athlete, I had missed out on my junior season of softball and it was saddening but understandable to me. We all had to sacrifice something and staying safe and keeping my teammates safe were important. I feel the pandemic didn’t really negatively affect me from any negative aspects. I took initiative and kept myself active throughout quarantine as well as keeping my mental health in check. I had more than enough time to focus on myself and figure out what my next steps would be after graduating,” added Shania.
“I typically look on the bright side of every situation and was able to find many ways to be appreciative of quarantining,” said Shania. “I am incredibly thankful to even have gotten a volleyball season for my senior year. I am thankful for the many precautions that our tribe has taken to keep us safe while giving us the opportunity to participate in activities that we love.”
“I had a great volleyball season and look forward to playing softball in the next few weeks,” said Shania.
Photo Credit: D.King of Imagez
