Facing Suicide

(crowd cheering) -

Narrator

In the winter of 2018, Greg Darr and the Arlee Warriors should have been on top of the world. They were expected to be state champions again, but a lot more was riding on the title than just a trophy. The suicides on the reservation numbered in the teens. Soon to reach 20. Watching the warriors play gave the community a few hours of relief from the ordeal outside the gym. For the players it raised the stakes even higher. (crowd cheering) -

Zanen

Their success started to excel at such a fast rate. It created a lot of pressure on them. It was hard on those boys that definitely know that they got to where they didn't want to let anybody down. -

Patty

I remember the Arlee Warriors right in the beginning of those suicides, and we're trying to encourage and be supportive of the basketball team and support them. (crowd cheering) And it was like, we got to just step out of that, all that sadness and just be in a place that we could just do what we love, and that's watch basketball. Watch our indian kids play basketball. (crowd cheering) -

Narrator

The Arlee Warriors had become a light against the darkness that was overtaking the reservation.