Maple Leafs stage Indigenous Celebration game
By Sam Laskaris
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have played thousands of home games throughout their history, but this past Saturday’s game will stand out for Gordie Taylor, a member of Curve Lake First Nation.
Taylor is the Indigenous community relations advisor for Hockey Equality, a charity formed in 2021, which aims to make hockey more accessible and inclusive for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) players.
Taylor was at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena on Saturday as the Maple Leafs held an Indigenous Celebration game.
“To have an Indigenous night here is pretty big for our people, not just locally but all across Canada,” Taylor said. “As you know, the Maple Leafs are self-proclaimed Canada’s team. Canada is Toronto Maple Leafs land, whether you go to Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, the majority of the fans are Leafs fans. So, for us as First Nations people, even if you’re not a Leafs fan tonight, you’re going to be a Leafs fan because they’re having an Indigenous celebration to honour every Indigenous person across Canada.”
This marked the first time the Maple Leafs held an Indigenous Celebration game. The club’s American Hockey League affiliate Toronto Marlies held their own Indigenous Celebration game on Sunday.
“I agree it should have been done long ago,” said Taylor, whose son Emerson plays in the Greater Toronto Hockey League with the Reps Hockey Club Under-16 AAA squad. “But there’s a lot of things that could have been done long ago, but we’re here now. So now moving forward, hopefully this will be a yearly celebration and other people will pay attention and from there we’ll just keep prospering as people.”
Wasauksing First Nation member Tyler Tabobondung Rushnell had a significant role in the Leafs’ Indigenous Celebration contest.
The 23-year-old artist designed the warm-up jersey the Maple Leafs wore that evening.
The jersey featured a Tkaronto Maple Leafs’ logo and a shoulder patch of a Thunderbird.
“It means the world to me,” Rushnell said of the fact he was selected to design the Leafs’ warm-up sweater. “It’s a dream come true. It’s so surreal. It’s such an amazing feeling.”
Rushnell said the Leafs’ manager of culture and inclusion Mark Fraser, a former NHL player, approached him via Instagram this past September inquiring if he’d be interested in designing a warm-up jersey.
“I was really stoked at first,” Rushnell said. “I didn’t believe it at first so I had to check. From there, we started talking and I had to send a few designs and get the one approved that they liked.”
Duke Peltier, the Anishinabek Nation Children’s Commissioner, was among the invited guests for Saturday’s game, which saw the Maple Leafs beat the visiting Detroit Red Wings 4-1.
“I think it’s a great celebration,” said Peltier, former Ogimaa (Chief) of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. “A celebration of the accomplishments of Anishinaabe people and to their contributions to society in general.”
Peltier was pleased the Leafs stepped up to host the match.
“It’s important that they also do their part to tell the stories that need to be told, correcting the wrongs of history, and celebrating the accomplishments and contributions of the First Nations peoples to Canadian society,” he said.
Indigenous Tourism Ontario (ITO) served as a supporting partner for the Leafs’ Indigenous Celebration contest.
“To be part of the Leafs event like this is fantastic,” said Kevin Eshkawkogan, ITO’s president and CEO. “It’s something that needs to be done and more sports teams can do. Indigenous people love their sports and they’re sports fans of many teams, but especially they enjoy being part of Leafs Nation.”
The hope is for the Maple Leafs to stage an annual Indigenous Celebration game. Eshkawkogan, though, would love to see even more done.
“One night a year is not usually enough,” he said. “This should be an everyday thing. Truth and reconciliation need to happen in every day of the year through all facets and everything that we do. As the original inhabitants of these lands, we’ve got lots to share with people and we’re willing to do it. We’re always welcoming people and never turning people away. Let’s share this land together.”