INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Victory Field is being prepped for opening day on March 31.
When you come to an Indianapolis Indians game this year and sit down things will look a little different before first pitch because the team wants to pay homage to the land that Victory Field is built on.
Before the sounds of baseball fill the stadium, fans will hear a land acknowledgement statement, “As we prepare victory field for today’s game. The Indianapolis Indians wish to acknowledge the Miami, Potawatomi, Shawnee, Delaware, Peoria, and Kickapoo peoples. On whos ancestral homelands this field was built. We honor these grounds and all indigenous people who continue to reside in Indiana … and celebrate their resilience and strength’s,” read Chief Brian Buchanan of the Miami Nation of Indians of Indiana.
When Buchanan read that statement over the loudspeaker before every single game, what went through his mind?
“It touches your heart. It really does. It almost brings a tear to your eyes that something that’s happened so long ago by our ancestors, and then some 100 years later they’re finally getting recognition of. It’s very admirable,” Buchanan said.
The Indianapolis Indians told I-Team 8 they plan on this being a long-term partnership that could include highlighting culture of the Miami Nation of Indians of Indiana during games.
Bruce Schumacher, chairman and chief executive officer of the Indianapolis Indians, said, “We’re very open-minded about it. Whatever tells their story the best way. They’re the best judge of that, we’re not. We have the ability to amplify it and give them a platform.”
Buchanan told I-Team 8 the Miami Nation had concerns that their endorsement of the team would not be well-received, but they chose to do so anyway because they view the team name as an honor.
“I hope many people don’t judge the Miami Indians of Indiana on our decision to do so,” Buchanan said.
The Indianapolis Indians will also be giving financial support to the Miami Nation for scholarships so their tribe members can pursue their educational goals.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WISH) — A Minor League Baseball team is going whole-hog in embracing Indiana’s love of tenderloin sandwiches.
The Fort Wayne team announced Friday it’ll switch its Johnny TinCap jerseys and caps for shirts and hats displaying pork goodness during selected home games at Parkview Field in the upcoming season.
The TinCaps also will be renamed temporarily to the Hoosier State Tenderloins for the games.
Tenderloins are said to have originated in 1908 at Nick’s Kitchen in Huntington, a city about a half-hour drive southwest of Fort Wayne.
Players will wear the jerseys displaying tenderloins when they host the Great Lakes Loons of Midland, Michigan, from Aug. 3-6.
“Just as a classic tenderloin is too large for the bun, we’re planning to go big for these games as the Hoosier State Tenderloins,” said a statement from Michael Limmer, the TinCaps vice president of marketing and promotions.
Stripes below the jersey, the team says, include the name of Indiana’s 92 counties.
Tenderloins will be sold at the games.
In the General Assembly underway in Indianapolis, state lawmakers have made no progress on a Senate bill to designate the tenderloin as the official Indiana sandwich. Gov. Eric Holcomb touted the measure in January during his State of the State address.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated at the end of December that Indiana’s hog and pig population of more than 4.3 million ranked fifth among U.S. states after, in order, Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina and Illinois.
The TinCaps name is a nod to to Johnny Appleseed, who introduced apple trees to parts of North America in the early 1800s.
Pre-orders are open now for official Hoosier State Tenderloins gear.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The U.S. Treasury will run out of money to pay government bills by summer unless lawmakers agree on a deal to raise the debt limit ceiling, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says.
Those government bill include Social Security and military paychecks.
To provide some insight, Matt Will, a finance professor and director of external relations for the School of Business at the University of Indianapolis, talked with News 8 anchor Phil Sanchez on Thursday night’s “UnPHILtered.”
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Donor Network has hit new heights in 2022.
They say more than 1,100 organs were transplanted and over 900,000 Hoosiers said “yes” to donation.
On Wednesday night’s “UnPHILtered” News 8 anchor Phil Sanchez talks with Steve Johnson, chief operating officer at Indiana Donor Network, about how it’s great to see an increase in organ donations that is helping many people who are waiting for a lifesaving transplant.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Valentine’s Day is a time of the year associated with love and celebrating relationships.
But for some, it may be a reminder of their anxiety.
On Tuesday night’s “UnPHILtered,” News 8 anchor Phil Sanchez talks with therapist Natalie Kohlahaas about relationship anxiety.
LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WISH) — Lafayette School Corp. is considering a four-day school week, but, first, leaders want feedback from the community.
In Thursday night’s “UnPHILtered,” News 8 anchor spoke with the principal of Vinton Elementary.
Cindy Preston talked about what she’s been hearing from parents and staff since the proposal was made.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — We’re just days away from Super Bowl Sunday, and that means watch parties with plenty of food plus risks for bacteria buildup.
In Wednesday night’s “UnPHILtered,” News 8 anchor Phil Sanchez spoke with Mitzi Baum, chief executive officer of the Chicago-based nonprofit Stop Foodborne Illness.
She explains how people can protect themselves while celebrating the big game.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Savannah Bananas baseball team’s owner has turned down a million-dollar offer.
News 8 anchor Phil Sanchez talked with Jesse Cole, the owner of the team, on Thursday night’s “UnPHILtered.”
He explained why turning down the offer was just another way the team is putting its fans first.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Anxiety is something everyone has to deal with, some more than others.
In Wednesday night’s “UnPHILtered,” News 8 anchor Phil Sanchez talked with psychotherapist Natalie Kohlhass who believes anxiety can be used as a tool to gatekeep fear.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The debate of artificial intelligence technology is not stranger to classrooms.
Many schools have banned programs such as ChatGPT based on concerns of students using them to cheat on their school work.
In Tuesday night’s UnPHILtered,” News 8 anchor Phil Sanchez talked with the chief executive officer and founder of educational consultancy AtomicMind. Leelila Strogov argues AI can be integrated into academics that can enhance students’ learning experiences.