OKC superfans mix love of Thunder, Indigenous pride: 'Show your colors'
The Butlers blend elements of their tribal heritage with their love of the OKC Thunder, with their outfits growing more elaborate during playoffs.
If you find yourself in the crowd at an Oklahoma City Thunder game, a couple wearing Indigenous regalia in the team's colors may catch your eye. Cherea Golden-Butler and Ray Butler are proud to be Thunder fans, and they're just as proud of their Indigenous heritage. The Butlers blend elements of their tribal heritage — Golden-Butler is Pawnee, Cheyenne and Otoe, and Butler is Choctaw — with their love of the team they've supported since day one.
"Really, even more than being a super fan, it is mixing it with my cultural identity," Golden-Butler said. "Be proud of who you are and show your colors. Represent.
" More: What channel is Thunder vs Spurs on TV tonight? Game 3 time, NBA schedule, injury report Their outfits grow more elaborate during playoffs, reaching the pinnacle of flair for the finals. "I just enjoy spending time with the people in the arena.
Also representing my culture at the same time and just letting the culture know that there's more that we do besides just some of the things they show us doing negatively," Butler, who is also a disabled veteran, said. "We also have a positive side of things that we do and just trying to get out and enjoy life. " Golden-Butler is frequently referred to by the endearing nickname "Auntie," a term of respect and love for older women in Native communities, among others.