Riley Spoonhunter (MHA Nation): Focused On The Big Picture as He Moves From High School to Dawson CC (MT) Next Season

By Dan Ninham (Oneida)

“I am focused on the big picture as everyday I think about playing in front of thousands of fans and getting a good education to set me up for the rest of my life,” said Riley Spoonhunter. “I don’t have any distractions and just a one-way road to success with hard work to go along with it!”

Riley Spoonhunter, 17, is a multi-sport senior athlete at Browning High School in Montana. His Blackfeet name is Imotsiina and appropriately means “Takes Victory”. He is enrolled in the MHA Nation and descendant of the Blackfeet, Arapaho, Oglala, Dakota and White Earth Ojibwe. His last stop of growing up was on the Blackfeet Reservation.

Riley has lived a traditional way of life on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Browning with his grandmother Joyce Spoonhunter. His mother Tarissa Spoonhunter lives in Riverton, WY and his father Alfred Morsette lives in Newton, ND. 

Mom Tarissa Spoonhunter is the professor of American Indian Studies at Central Wyoming College in Riverton, WY. She received her Ph.D. and Master’s degree at the University of Arizona and her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Montana. She said: “Riley Spoonhunter’s Indian name is ‘Takes Victory’ and was bestowed upon him after a Blackfoot Confederacy Chief because of his leadership playing basketball on the Blackfeet Reservation. Riley played for the Class C Heart Butte HS Warriors freshman and sophomore year. He transferred to Class A Browning High School before his junior year and led the Indians this past season into the semi-finals at state until the tournament was cancelled. He played summer ball for the Warrior Movement that was established to help bring suicide awareness and help found the chapter on the Blackfeet Reservation.”

“Riley is a fancy war dancer and singer who has made friends in the US and Canada. His leadership has drawn in friends from neighboring rivalry towns that would invite him to play in open gym and leagues in the off-season. He played Select AAU basketball that made him friends for life in MT, ID, WA, OR and has kept in touch with those players throughout high school. He would ask his MT boys to play in state 5-on-5 tourneys or 3-on-3 that raised eyebrows at times. One person asked how did these White and Indian guys from competing schools and classes come together?” added Tarissa.

“If you ever met Riley he is true humble leader and treats all equal,” said Tarissa. “He showed up to open gym and a non-athlete kid was sitting on the side and Riley asked him what he was doing and the boy said, “I wanted to play in the 5-on-5 but no one picked me up’. So Riley said ‘well lets get a team’ and here they end up winning! The boy’s family was so grateful for Riley letting their son play with him.”

“As a freshman he had to be a leader and he took it on the coach to believe in him,” said Tarissa. “As a mom I thought seniors should’ve been the leaders even though Riley did let them take the credit for his leadership. He is the most consistent player to come off our reservation. When you think he had a bad game he led in assists and rebounds on nights he didn’t have those high point games.”

Many coaches believe by providing an opportunity for travel and extended stays in elite athletic camps held on college campuses, an extensive AAU game circuit, and other meaningful experiences may encourage future college student-athletes to stay in school. Riley had many of these experiences growing up while making a trek around the country and ended up being a world traveler.

“I lived in Arizona from K-7 grade except 4th grade I was in Browning,” said Riley. “In Arizona I lived with my mom when she was going to college to get her doctorate degree but also raising three kids by herself. After seventh grade she got a job in Wyoming where my grandpa’s from so we moved there. I only lasted a year there as it wasn’t the right fit so I moved in with my grandma in Montana and I’ve been here ever since.” 

“I played football and basketball throughout my high school career and a year of cross-country and golf,” said Riley. His other competitive realm was traveling the United States and Canada powwow circuit since the age of four in the fancy war dance category.

A few summers ago, Riley was selected to play for the United States in the 16U United World Games in Germany, Italy, and Austria. He was the only Montana athlete to go on the 10-day trip. Team members were chosen on athletic ability, academics, leadership ability, and character. 

“It was a blessing,” said Riley.  “I mean not very many people, not only from Indian Country, but from the United States get a opportunity like that to play overseas against all the different countries representing your nation. It was a blessing and a blast playing all different cultures, learning their way and style of play they run over there. It was an amazing learning experience and not only that but getting to see the world, countries I never been to before like Italy, Germany, and Austria was an amazing journey!”

Riley was a three-time member of the Montana All State basketball and four-time member of the All Conference teams, and Montana Class A NW MVP, GPTY Nominee, and 1500 Point club with a total of 1597 career points. 

This recent past senior season he averaged 20.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 53% 2fg, 35% 3fg, and 73% ft. A statistic that many coaches use is the “+/- ratio” that would include his season total steals (63), assists (117) and blocked shots (6) minus turnovers (89) and Riley would have a very good score of +151. This is also called the “making others better” statistic. Riley is a team player and more than just a scorer.

Riley signed his national letter of intent to continue his education and basketball playing at Dawson Community College in Glendive, MT. The border-to-border distance of north central Browning to east central Glendive is 497 miles one-way. The long distance travel has been a part of Riley since he was young.

The head coach and athletic director of Dawson Community College (DCC) is Joe Peterson. He finished his fifth successful season this past season. The Buccaneer’s were one game away from the NJCAA national tournament and finished the season with a 27-7 record. The team won 17 consecutive games prior to the NJCAA D1 District Championship Game to nationally ranked #2 Indian Hills Community College. Coach Peterson won his 100th game in the region championship game and DCC hasn’t won it in 49 years. The team won the Mon-Dak Conference Pre-season Tournament, the regular season conference title, and the Region XIII Championship.

Success for the Joe Peterson-led Buccaneers not only is defined in wins. Eleven players have been named All-Conference, eight as All-Region, and two as NJCAA D1 All-Americans. Fourteen players from his first four years went on to play at 4-year colleges and all 10 sophomores this season are expected to move on too.

“What I love about Riley is his basketball IQ and skill level,” said Coach Joe Peterson.  “He has been successful individually and helped his team be successful for all four years of high school and on his AAU team.  I think he possesses the work ethic that will allow him to continue that success in college.  He has been coached by good coaches and played in good programs.  I’m excited to start working with him in August when school starts.”

Traditional childrearing practices in native communities include involvement of extended family members. At one time historically, some native parents didn’t believe in the balance of formal education compared to the lessons of traditions. This has changed quickly since there are countless native student-athletes who are attending college and universities and were provided a sound education in high school and lower grades to be successful academically to be eligible to play and stay in college.

Native childrearing practices may also include the uncle’s as being the disciplinarians of their nephews. Discipline in providing direction in their lives and not so much as in corrective behaviors but that may be evident as well. 

“The closest ones would have to be my uncle’s Sam Aimsback, Alan and Alden Spoonhunter, and Coach Kellen Hall,” said Riley. “They were father figures to me and our bond was so close,” said Riley. 

“My uncles helped me build that fire inside of me to be a competitor with a drive like no other,” said Riley. “I have a lot of my game to thank because of them four!”

“Yes, the uncles taught him the manhood things so when he turned 13 he moved to Montana with my mom,” said Tarissa. “I knew as a single parent this was best for him although it was hard and my brothers have truly stepped up for him.”

The Spoonhunter extended family name has been a legacy with Browning HS basketball. Uncle’s Alan and Aiden were stars in the past for the Running’ Indians. Sam Aimsback, who is Tarissa’s cousin but is considered an uncle the Indian way, has a legacy at neighboring Heart Butte HS. Another extended cousin, but uncle the Indian way, is head coach at Heart Butte HS Kellen Hall.

“I have known Riley his whole life,” said Sam Aimsback. “I have been able to watch him grow, not only as a person, but as a student, a friend, an athlete, and a role model. I have been able to share his basketball journey with him. I have seen him struggle and fail, and I have seen him struggle and succeed. He has pushed himself to work hard and try hard, both on and off the basketball court.”

“We’re cousins,” said Sam. “Alan and I were cousins and brothers on the court. Riley’s dad was not in the picture. So as Indian family goes, he started looking at me as his uncle. And so my wife Lisa and I supported him and one day we just took on dad and mom roles. We have the same grandparents. My mom and Riley’s Grandmother are first cousins and Bullshoe was our grandfather.” 

“As a young athlete he was coached on many different levels,” said Sam. “For him it has always been a learning experience. He takes something positive from them and uses it to improve his game. He is open-minded and always listens to criticism. After every game Riley and I sit down and talk about the highs and lows. He asks what he could have done different, and how to include the team to make it work. Of course he is his own worst critic.”

“There are times he carries the weight of the team. In the end though he is always focused on the bigger picture, Winning State! Our tourney may not have played out the way that we wanted, but in the end Riley and his team picked up their heads and kept going. His big focus now, College Ball!” added Sam.

“Riley is a very humble player,” said Sam. “He doesn’t brag about his accomplishments. He is always trying to bring up the players around him. If you ask him something he will always say so and so does it too. He doesn’t like to be the center of attention. He is a true team player. At times he doesn’t realize the impact he has on other youth as well as fans. We had kids ask if we are his parents and then run off laughing. We had parents come up and hug us or shake our hands, telling us he is a great player.”

“Riley has many siblings,” said Sam. “You know how Indian families are big. All his siblings support him and love him. After every game whether it’s home or away they all wait for him to come out of the locker room. There are times I know he is tired or wants to be alone but he smiles and takes pictures and gives out hugs. That’s one thing I am proud of, is he always makes the time.”

“It’s going to be tough with him leaving home,” said Sam. “I won’t see him bursting through the door looking for fruit snacks or teasing his brothers and sister. I will miss those late night phone calls asking for a ride home from the gym. I will miss him trying to beat me at a game of ‘21’ in the Aimsback driveway. It’s tough knowing that all of his games will be away games for us.”

“If I had to sum up Riley and his talent I would say impressive,” said Sam. “He can play any position on that floor. He doesn’t always look to score. He would rather lead in assists and see his teammate score and help them gain confidence. His defense is always tough. He always wants to guard the tough player to challenge himself. Doesn’t matter the size of the player, Riley will give it his all and he is a leader, guiding his teammates to get back or get their hands up. Offense-wise he can always see the whole floor. He is a hard worker and is ready for his time to excel in college. It’s time for all the time and hard work to pay off.”

“My wife Lisa and our family we are extremely proud of Riley and all his accomplishments,” said Sam. “We will continue to support his efforts both academically and athletically. We are proud to call him son! The Buccaneers just gained themselves a huge fan base.”

Uncle Alden Spoonhunter said: “I think his last three summers have really helped Riley get experience and ready for college. He was on the first All Native Elite AAU team from Montana. The next year he played and had a lot of success with the Idaho Select team. Then going to play overseas and represent the USA, he led them to a bronze medal. He would ask me about basketball and what I did for training since I was the captain of the Browning Indians 2001 State Championship team and played juco at United Tribes Technical College. I told him to take advantage of all the free gym time and play as much as he could to develop his basketball IQ. Back in high school we never had open gyms so I would take a couple guys in before school and work out to get ready for the season. He did that with some of the younger guys this year. I preached weight lifting and he is just now picking that up so once he gets that down he should be fine at the college level.”

Riley attended Class C Heart Butte HS as a freshman and sophomore and transferred to Class A Browning HS for his upperclassman years. Heart Butte is 30 miles from Browning. 

“My first impression of Riley was watching him in middle school and thinking, ‘wow, this kid is very skilled and fearless’,” said Heart Butte HS Coach Kellen Hall.

“It wasn’t until I had the privilege of coaching him his freshman season that I got to understand his work ethic. This kid would truly bug me to get into the gym all the time. It didn’t matter if it was the weekend, a holiday, or if it was my birthday, he just wanted to get into that gym. You want that out of your players and when we got into the gym it wasn’t just shooting around either, it was doing agility drills, footwork, working on game scenarios,” added Kellen.

“Riley has pushed me to do my homework as a coach and go beyond what I know when training and working at the game,” said Kellen. “I truly enjoyed that aspect of him keeping me humble and forever learning. I didn’t ever have to light his fire because his passion exceeded everyone else’s.”

“Off the court Riley comes from a traditional family and knows how to show his gratitude towards others,” said Kellen. “He treats his elders with the upmost respect including his entire family and extended family.”

“He was raised by his mother Tarissa Spoonhunter and his mothers tribal family,” said Kellen. “She is an amazing mother who knew that she had to trust others to let Riley become the young man he is today. I can’t thank her enough to let me be a part of that upbringing for I have much respect for all of them.”

“The Spoonhunter family is a family of many college degrees,” said Kellen. “They have so much knowledge for Riley and he isn’t paving new ground there but has extended resources that stretch from Canada throughout Montana into Wyoming when it comes to the college experience.”

“Dawson CC is picking up a great asset to their team because Riley cares more about winning and family than any other aspect in sports,” said Kellen. “He will do his best to resonate those qualities as he settles in.”

LaVon Myers was raised in the Los Angeles metro and played basketball at Montana State-Nothern in Havre. As a transfer from El Camino Compton CC, he played on two Frontier Conference championship teams and never lost a home game. He is the former head boys’ basketball coach at Box Elder HS, MT. 

“I met Riley Spoonhunter after his freshman season at Heart Butte HS,” said LaVon Myers. “Right away we started to connect and one thing that really stood out to me about Riley was his relentless work ethic. After a few personal training sessions, he decided to play on my AAU team during the live period that is the recruiting period for college programs.”

“Leading up to our spring and summer tournaments, Riley would get a two hour ride to Havre, and train with me and some of the other athletes I was working with from Montana State University-Northern, and Box Elder HS basketball players. He always wanted to get better and was never too good to do the extra work and push past his comfort zone. I was also able to witness his leadership ability since he started bringing other players from his town to come all the way to Havre to train,” added LaVon. 

“During his junior year at Browning, I remember he had an ‘off game’ one night and that same night he called me so his grandmother could drive him out to Box Elder and hit the gym. It was 11:30 at night and he made 200 shots. I thought to myself, ‘Wow, this kid has the drive it takes to make it to the next level,’ added LaVon.

“His mother, grandmother, family, Coach Kellen, and all his other coaches have really done a great job raising him,’ said LaVon. “He is a respectful young man with a good head on his shoulders. I thank his family for allowing me the opportunity to work with him and help mentor him. I am excited to follow him at the next level and watch him progress as a player and a human being.”

Zanen Pitts was the Arlee HS head coach for six years and took this past season off. He led the team to four consecutive Class C state tournament championship games, a first in Montana history, and won two of them while compiling a 140-18 record in six seasons.

“The first time I crossed paths with Riley Spoonhunter, he was a freshman playing for Heart Butte HS,” said Zanen Pitts. “At that time they were undefeated and one of the top Class C teams in Montana.  Figuring that my team could end up playing Heart Butte HS in the state tournament, my wife and I decided to make the three and a half hour drive to watch them play another top ranked team, Sunburst HS.”

“I’ll never forget when we walked into the packed gym, with warm ups just starting.  As my wife and I walked along the sideline, I was sizing up both teams, checking out their size, athleticism, matching names and faces to the jersey numbers, and just then Riley runs by me in his lay up line. He stops to shake my hand and says, ‘Hi Coach. Thanks for coming to watch us.’ It honestly surprised me as not a lot of kids take the time to do something like that, but that’s because Riley isn’t like a lot of kids.”

In one sense this may have be the traditional Plains warrior practice of “counting coup.” The warriors would go into the enemy camp and touch them and then head back out without being harmed.  “Our Blackfeet core values define us this way,” said Riley. “We were known as the baddest in the world!”

The other sense is that Riley highly respected the opposition and was highly honored to have the opposing coach travel a great distance to watch his team perform.

“Heart Butte HS started slow and struggled most of the game, but eventually Riley and his team started to rally. They showed me the heart and skill I had expected from a top Indian basketball team,” added Zanen.

“It was impressive how Riley took the game over as a freshman and it wasn’t just scoring, he took over as a leader, too,” said Zanen. “It was even more amazing based on his youth. I believe there are some things you can teach in the game of basketball and then there are some things that just come natural. Riley is a leader, that guy your boys would want to follow into battle and that’s one of those natural characteristics that Riley has always had as long as I’ve been watching him play. He is a general both in the locker room and on the floor, where he has the uncanny ability to find the open teammate and is always willing to make that extra pass to them.”

“As you would guess, Heart Butte HS kept their perfect season intact that night with an impressive comeback win,” said Zanen. “As I was leaving, there was under a minute to go in the game, when Riley caught my attention and waved to me on the way out as a thank you. Throughout the remainder of the season I kept a close eye on Heart Butte HS and Riley’s quest to meet up with my boys in the title game.  Unfortunately, as bad as we all wanted it to happen, the opportunity wasn’t granted.  At the end of the season Riley transferred to Browning HS and left Class C that I coached in.”

“During Riley’s junior season at Browning HS I kept a close eye on his accomplishments and how Browning HS was doing,” said Zanen.  “I set a goal that I was going to take a team to NABI and work on creating an all-Native Select team that would travel to tournaments across the country.”

“Soon, it was June and off to NABI we went,” said Zanen.  “It was amazing to watch Riley work on and off the floor and how we had an instant connection. As the games went on throughout the week at NABI, I got to visit with Riley before and after he played. It allowed me to start to see his high basketball IQ first hand. What separates Riley from other kids is his deep passion for and understanding of basketball. It seems as if he spends every waking moment studying the game.”

“What also makes Riley so special is he is a 6’3, 180 lbs, 17 year old, point guard with the ability to get his team a bucket anytime the team needs one.  His stats speak for themselves. He was the third leading scorer in the state of Montana’s Class A and led Class A in assists.  He is a playmaker, a leader and a winner.  His style of play reminds me of Jimmy Butler for the Miami Heat.  He has the ability to get shots up and score buckets, but also understands that playing with his brothers by making that extra pass is the key to winning,” added Zanen.

In 2007, Mecklin Davis was a senior basketball player at Montana State University (MSU).  He was a reader to elementary students at Bozeman’s Hawthorne Elementary School. Not a one and done reader like so many ‘bring the star in to read’ programs, but he came back weekly and twice a week to volunteer teach physical education classes. 

In a MSU news article on October 26, 2007 written by Bill Lamberty, Reading to kids rekindles passion for MSU basketball player, the story ended with the words: “… his time positively affecting the lives of kids is only the beginning.”

These words were destined to be true because he and fellow former college basketball player Justin Reynolds built a big time off-season basketball youth development program called GO Hoops! Several native and non-native boys and girls find their way to knock on their gym doors and they are coming out better athletes and people. See this link about their programming: https://www.gohoopstravelbasketball.com/

“When I think about Riley Spoonhunter, the first phrase that comes to my mind is Mamba Mentality,” said Mecklin Davis. “Offensively, Riley is a point blank pure scorer also known as a walking bucket. His ability to get to his spots and get his shot off is what makes him such a great offensive threat. When it comes to scoring efficiency I believe he is one of the best I have ever trained and coached.” 

“My favorite memory of Riley probably came last summer,” said Mecklin. “I believe we were either in Washington or Oregon and we matched up against Team Avery Bradley. He and his teammates went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the Pacific Northwest. At one point we were down 15 points and Coach Reynolds called a time out. At that timeout I challenged Riley and the rest of our seniors to compete at a higher level. Riley came out and hit two tough jumpers that sparked a 19-5 run for us. We ended up losing the game by four but it was that game that I knew not only Riley but the rest the boys could compete with the best competition in America.”

“One of the things that people don’t see is how many hours Riley puts in,” said Mecklin. “He is constantly in the gym with either his uncle or whoever is willing to put in work with him. His mom’s dedication to supporting his dream helps fulfill his motivation to be great. He is a sponge, always trying to soak up new information. I’m really looking forward to seeing this young man play in college.”

Justin Reynolds was s walk-on basketball player at Northwest College, Powell, WY, in 2007-2009. He went to school at Whitney Young HS in Chicago. He attended Robert Morris College from 2009-2012 and came back to the Montana area since he visited there during his juco days. He and Mecklin Davis came together to direct the GO Hoops AAU program. Coach Justin Reynolds said: “Riley’s skill set on the court was phenomenal. Last summer of 2019, we were in Seattle for a tournament. We planned to go to a few places off the court like the Cheesecake Factory and GameWorks.”

“When it was time to get together all his teammates wanted to know if he was going. When Riley spoke they all listened and were engaged. When he is talking trash to them about basketball stories and what he has done or is going to do they make fun of him. But you could see in their body language and tension in their laughs that they knew he was going to do what he said. He has a natural magnetism that surrounds him that comes from his character on and off the court and his fearless approach to being on the court. With that being said at the next level Riley is going to be a great leader. His teammates are going to be drawn to him. And because of that it will translate into some positive things on the court,” added Justin. 

Browning HS head varsity boys’ basketball head coach Daniel Connelly guided the Runnin’ Indians to qualify for the state tournament his first three years at the helm. The varsity team finished this past season with an 18-5 record losing to Butte Central HS in the state semi-finals. He was the junior varsity coach prior to being named the head coach and his teams won 48 consecutive games between 2014-2017. Coach Daniel has coached in the district from fourth grade to varsity.

“As a coach who has coached at the high school level at Browning School District for 18 seasons, I have used basketball as the vehicle to teach not only basketball skills but skills that will help student athletes be productive in life,” said Daniel Connelly, Browning HS head boys’ coach.

“It has been wonderful to have that opportunity to harness kids’ passion with basketball,” added Daniel.

“Riley Spoonhunter wasn’t one of the kids that needed to be pushed,” said Daniel. “His competitiveness radiated the first time I had the opportunity to coach him. Riley is just an unbelievable competitive athlete with tremendous work ethic. He has always been a gym rat who has worked from noon to sundown on his game. A good example is how every year he has really improved with his shooting. Ever since the end of last season, he has been in the gym putting up hundreds of shots every day. I see a big difference in his range and his fundamentals using the glass. His mid-range game really improved. I believe that he would let nothing get in the way of working each day to get better, this in turn gave him confidence where he felt that he was the best player every time he walked into any gym.”

“He is not only a great player but a tremendous teammate,” said Daniel. “He is just a good person who without question, regarding Riley’s work ethic, showed the younger players what it takes to play at the next level. This in turn will have a lasting effect on the Runnin’ Indians program. I appreciate everything he brought to the table. I enjoyed coaching him. And I guarantee there won’t be anyone on his college team that will outwork him.”

“I remember seeing Riley before he was in high school at a powwow,” said Everett Armstrong, Browning HS Activities Director. “I walked by and he yelled my name and said to watch him. I sat down at the drum and he was dancing in the Teen Boys Fancy Dance Category. Song started and he began to dance across the floor. Sitting there watching him, his face filled with pride because he already knew he was going to place first, he would skip, hop, twist, and move to the sound of the drum. Then at the end of the song, while he’s dancing, he looks right at me, points, and does a basketball move ending with a fade away. That was one of the coolest dance moves I’ve never seen before or since.”

“I smiled, the song ended, he lined up and I remember thinking about his footwork. I thought to myself, this kid is special. He placed first at this powwow and I didn’t see or hear of him until basketball season,” added Everett.

“During basketball season, I went to Heart Butte to ref,” said Everett. “During our pregame, his name was mentioned for players that’ll handle the ball. We get on the floor and he’s warming up. Already I knew his level of talent exceeded the upperclassmen. I can’t remember the team they were playing, but from the tip to the end of the game, you knew Heart Butte was going to win. He had such poise about him, a winning mentality, and a spirit of leadership. He and his brother led the Heart Butte Warriors to District and Divisional Championships, and State tournaments that year and the year after.”

“His junior year he transferred to Browning HS,” said Everett. “This was an exciting time for Browning. I am a very big fan of Browning Athletics and when Riley moved to town, I knew Browning was going to make some noise. I watched this kid all season and he didn’t disappoint, he played every minute at the best of his ability. He was at the gym early in the morning, and last to leave during practice. He absolutely loved the game.”

“I began working at the high school this year as the AD,” said Everett. “Riley was a senior and in school, he goes to class, and is always working on getting better. As a senior this year, I noticed that he was working on his game and his grades. He was always last to leave, first one on the court for practice and pre-game warm-ups. I truly believe he is going to excel at Dawson Community College.”

“Right now I’ve been waking up eating a good breakfast then working out three times a day to get myself physically stronger and faster for the next level,” said Riley. “Start off with core workouts then into agility and speed workouts. I lift weights then after that part I run four to six miles. I will shoot 1,000 made shots before my day is over!”

“I am still a student of the game,” said Riley. “I think my main focus is being a leader getting the team going and staying in rhythm throughout the game. In this time right now I am doing a lot of family time also with the workouts and spending time riding horses helping out my family ranch.”

Get ready to pack your bags Riley Spoonhunter. You’re going on another road trip.

Riley’s hudl basketball and football video profile is located here: https://www.hudl.com/profile/11568387/Riley-Spoon-Hunter

Photo Credit: 406mtsports.com