It was at the Prairie Island Dakota Wacipi in 1989, when four young boys sat on the bleachers waiting to register their drum for the first time. The main question was, “What is our name going to be?” Hokie Clairmont (14 yrs old), Opie Day (12 yrs), Bud Day (8 yrs) and Hallo Day (4 yrs) couldn’t think of anything cool like “Stoney Park” or “Blackstone” until one of the mothers said, “Why don’t you call yourselves ‘The Boys’ because that’s what you are.” They immediately liked it and Hokie started walking towards registration when Opie hollered, “Spell it with a Z!” The Boyz have become a household name on the powwow trail. The early years were rough while they tried to find their way in the singing world. It took them four years to place in any singing contest for the first time. (Ann Arbor, MI 1993) But it wasn’t until they got invited to Schemitzun ‘95 before they really felt like they had found a place in the singing world. Because at the time, Schemitzun was the “Super Bowl” of powwows. There were also other memorable moments like winning the Gathering of Nations and United Tribes singing contests in 1996. These were times when “The Boyz” really felt like they had made a name for themselves. Over 23 years later, “The Boyz” have grown with brothers from coast to coast and evolved as a singing group. They have extended their families across Indian country, winning awards that are numerous but seldom talked about. “Established in 1989” isn’t a glance back. It’s not a resume or a list of accomplishments. It’s not about the individual faces but rather about the name itself and how it’s been expressed to the world for the last two decades. TBZ is about talent, lessons learned, a lot of prayers and little craziness. Aho to those they know, RIP to those they lost and best wishes to all.