After two years of not performing in person, Seminole brothers Spencer Battiest and Doc Native performed on one of Los Angeles’ biggest stages Nov. 23 – Staples Center – in front of an audience of 17,067 during halftime at the Clippers versus Dallas Mavericks NBA basketball game.

[Click here to see video of the performance]

The Clippers invited the brothers to perform their award-winning song “Dream” as a celebration of Native American Heritage Month.

“What a way to come back,” Battiest said. “To get the call to come to the Staples arena is a really big honor. They specifically asked for “Dream,” which means they agree with the message.”

“I always dreamed of going there to watch a basketball game, let alone headlining at center court,” Native said. “It’s an honor being a representative for all of Native America and all indigenous people.”

The brothers, who grew up on the Hollywood Reservation, weren’t the only Native Americans who performed. Before the game, the national anthem was sung by PJ Vegas, the son of Redbone’s Pat Vegas.

“Dream” recently won best music video of the year at the American Indian Film Festival. Two Native dancers who appeared in the video, Kenneth Shirley and Nanabah Lopez Kadenehii, performed traditional pow wow dancing at the beginning of the brothers’ six-minute performance at Staples Center. The dancers are from the dance group Indigenous Enterprise.

“We wanted to show as much culture as we could during our six minutes,” Battiest said. “It’s a total Indigenous night.”

During the pandemic with no in-person performances, Battiest and Native kept up their routine of writing, working out, vocalizing and working on the craft of songwriting.

“You think nothing is going to happen and then out of the blue, the Clippers call,” Battiest said. “We have faith that with our hard work and talent, we will rise to the occasion every time.”

The Clippers lost the game, 112-104, but the crowd got a taste of Native American entertainment.

“It’s just another moment we have a big platform to share with the world who we are as brothers and performers and bring our culture along with us,” Battiest said. “We are just a couple of rez boys doing what we do best.”