Key Takeaways
- The author, an Indigenous athlete, shares their journey of self-discovery and growth, from hiding their Indigenous heritage to embracing it and becoming a role model for others.
- The author faced challenges such as bullying, discrimination, and being underestimated due to their height, but found support from coaches and mentors who helped them overcome these obstacles.
- The author’s experiences with Team B.C. and the National Aboriginal Hockey Championship (NAHC) were instrumental in their growth as a hockey player and as an Indigenous athlete.
- The author emphasizes the importance of embracing one’s culture and heritage, and using it as a source of strength and pride.
- The author’s story serves as an inspiration to young Indigenous athletes, showing them that with hard work and determination, they can break down barriers and achieve their goals.
Introduction to Heritage
As long as I can remember, I’ve heard and read stories of my ancestry dating back to the Red River Resistance, including a book written about my great-grandma’s family living on a reserve in Northern Manitoba. Families on my dad’s side settled in small Métis towns called St-Malo and St-Pierre-Jolys. These stories and experiences have shaped my understanding of my Indigenous heritage and have had a profound impact on my life.
Embracing Indigenous Heritage
I’ll admit, after hearing about my ancestors’ experiences, I wasn’t sure if being Indigenous was good or if it was something I should be ashamed of. In minor hockey, people used to always ask ‘Who is that little native boy on the ice?’ just because I was playing on a boys’ team and had a long braid. I didn’t think much of it at the time, until I heard some of the things people were saying about other Indigenous people in the community, things I never thought I would hear. Although we spoke regularly in our household about our Métis heritage, it was difficult to express it outside our walls.
Overcoming Challenges
After that, I thought if I didn’t expose myself as being Indigenous that I wouldn’t get bullied or hurt. I buried it away and focused on my real passion—hockey. Every time I stepped on the ice, I wanted to be the best player so one day I could be a role model for other Indigenous athletes with similar experiences. I lived by the motto "I work hard today to be better for tomorrow." Carrying that with me, I was able to make the British Columbia roster as a double under-ager for the 2023 Canada Winter Games on Prince Edward Island, and was lucky enough to help Team B.C. win its first-ever gold medal!
Success and Growth
That event was a huge moment in my journey; I believe I made a name for Indigenous athletes to show that you can play with everyone. My journey with Team B.C. has continued for the last two seasons, winning a pair of bronze medals at the U18 Women’s National Championship, getting to serve as captain at the most recent tournament in New Brunswick and being named Top Defender. I have also won two Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) championships with RHA Kelowna in the Female U18 Prep division, broke the record for most career assists in division history and earned CSSHL Defensive Player of the Year last season.
Representing Indigenous Athletes
Through my time with Team B.C., I learned about ISPARC (Indigenous Sports Physical Activity and Recreation Council), which leads the teams that represent the province at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championship (NAHC) every year. In 2023, just a few months after my Canada Games experience, I made my first NAHC appearance in Winnipeg. I returned for a second tournament in 2024 in Grande Prairie, winning a bronze medal, and earned the Premier’s regional and provincial awards for Indigenous youth excellence in sports. I made a third trip just a few months ago on home ice in Kamloops, just a couple hours from where I grew up in Osoyoos, getting the honour of being captain again and leading Team B.C. to silver, the best finish in program history.
Cultural Significance
Those tournaments were amazing experiences, both personally and culturally. I felt accepted by opponents, fans, coaches and teammates. They were so, so important in my growth as a hockey player and as an Indigenous athlete. There’s one story from my NAHC years that will stick with me, and I want to share it. It really drives home why I want to work with the younger generation to truly embrace our culture. One of my best friends, who is Indigenous, would constantly be reminded by her teammates that she wasn’t good enough to play for Team B.C. at the U18 Women’s Nationals.
Mental Health and Confidence
I never hesitated to remind her how skilled of a player she was. It was—and still is—very hard for me to understand how her teammates could not only be so mean, but at the same time talk about Indigenous athletes and the NAHC tournament as a lower form of competition. Hearing them say that we aren’t good enough hockey players just because we were Indigenous was something that didn’t sit well for me. It made me realize that I have to fight for what’s right and stop hiding in the shadows. I am very proud to say that I am a citizen of the Métis Nation of British Columbia (MNBC) and that I live on the traditional unceded territory of the Sylix (Okanagan) Nation!
Support and Mentorship
I made a decision to learn more about being Métis. The MNBC staff was welcoming and supported me in learning about my culture and other Indigenous cultures. I was honoured to be sashed by the president of the MNBC and receive two warrior sashes made for me by Métis Elders. I was invited by the MNBC Board of Directors to speak with government representatives and talk about the mental, physical and emotional challenges that Indigenous athletes have to face. I explained how hard it is to be faced with discrimination just for being Indigenous. Due to the negative impact, I took a 12-week course with former NHLer Aaron Volpatti to help with my mental health and confidence.
Overcoming Height-Related Challenges
Alongside the highs and lows of being an Indigenous athlete, I faced another challenge that was out of my control—I have often been overlooked or underestimated because of my height. (I’m 5-foot-2, in case you’re wondering.) No matter what I did, every mistake and every loss was because I was short. I knew my height would come with challenges, but never did I think a coach would belittle me because of it. I would be told that I cost the team the game, implying that it was because I was too short. During my NCAA recruitment, this coach would always bring up my size as a negative when speaking to other coaches, rather than focusing on my skills.
Coaching and Mentorship
I’m short…and I can’t do anything about it! I am so lucky to have been able to work with two coaches, Venla Hovi and Kris Hogg, who really took me under their wing and didn’t just look past me because of my height. Venla—a two-time Olympian and Women’s Worlds veteran with Finland—was the first coach who gave me confidence to use my height as an advantage. She saw my potential and worked with me to be comfortable being uncomfortable. She really changed the way I played, for the better. She allowed me to see my height as a strength and as something people wouldn’t be able to stop.
Future Plans and Goals
This coming season, I’m proud to have accepted a scholarship to Penn State University to continue my hockey career. Through my journey, I have realized that no matter what, you have to fight for what’s right and continue to battle against the hard. I am so thankful for all the opportunities I have had, and I continue to work hard today to be better for tomorrow so that I can make my dreams to represent Canada at the Olympics and play in the PWHL a reality. My hope is that my journey and story will be an inspiration to young Indigenous athletes, showing them that any boundary is breakable with the right mindset.
