The living spirit of Junior All-Native turns a half-century – FNHA

March 25, 2026

​Nicole Cardinal never played in the Junior All-Native Basketball Tournament (JANT). Growing up in East Vancouver, far from her Stellat’en and Wet’suwet’en roots in Northern BC, Cardinal said there wasn’t a team that brought together urban Indigenous girls from diverse Nations.

That’s why accepting the tournament ball to open the 50th anniversary of JANT was so special to her.

Known as Aunty Nicki, Cardinal has managed the Vancity Nation Basketball Club since 2019, when her daughter started competing in JANT. This year, Vancity Nation had the honour of hosting the tournament in partnership with Vancouver Bandits Basketball, Bandits Community Foundation and Kwantlen First Nation.

Read More: https://www.fnha.ca/about/news-and-events/news/the-living-spirit-of-junior-all-native-turns-a-half-century