Riley Grey-Wolf Alire was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, in the Athmar neighborhood. He is Taos Pueblo and Apache from what is now the New Mexico area.
“The front of the jersey was inspired by the ribbon shirts we wear,” Riley Grey-Wolf Alire said. “It's a piece of formal apparel or regalia. Different tribes all over have different meanings for the ribbon shirts but I was always taught that the ribbons represent our roots, like a tree has roots, we have roots to our ancestors.”
The back of the jersey has two sections of text, reading Mitakuye Oyasin and Ska:dah.
“Mitakuye Oyasin comes from the Lakota language,” Riley Grey-Wolf Alire said. “It is a phrase that means ‘we’re all related’ or ‘all my relations.’ I put this phrase at the name plate because I feel like if more people realize we are all related, there would be less hate in this world.
“Ska:dah is a word that comes from the Haudenosaunee language. In English it means ‘we all think with 1 mind, 1 heart.’ This word actually comes from the local lacrosse group I play with. I feel like this is a mindset that we need to have on and off the ice/field.”
Riley Grey-Wolf Alire battled with mental health for a long time and now is a big advocate for men's mental health and works with Blazing Cloud Consulting LLC. to help spread awareness on addiction and recovery. Growing up in Colorado, he spent most of his life in the Rocky Mountains. He learned about traditional plants and medicine and sought them out. Now he uses what he knows to help teach youth and others about traditional plants, herbs, and other healing methods. Grey-Wolf Alire also volunteers with Denver Parks and Recreation to teach about bison at Daniels Park.
Growing up in the city life wasn't the easiest for Riley Grey-Wolf Alire. He didn’t grow up with a lot of teachers or elders to help. Riley Grey-Wolf always wanted to be a dancer but never had the guidance. His grandmother Catherine Woman-Warrior Alire taught him what she knew about sewing and when he was 17, he started making his regalia one piece at a time. He started dancing to powwow music in the living room copying the men on tv. One day his grandma introduced him to some people in the community and from there things just took off.
“My journey on this path is fairly new as I've only been dancing for about four years now, but I couldn't imagine myself without dancing,” Riley Grey-Wolf Alire said.
Riley Grey-Wolf is a hockey and lacrosse player. He likes to spend his time working within the community volunteering with the Colorado Eagles and Mustangs special needs hockey program. Riley Grey-Wolf is an ambassador for Dawg Nation Hockey Foundation. Dawg Nation is a non-profit organization based around the hockey community that helps raise money for families going through hardship.
