Anishinabek Nation’s Indigenous Traditional Games camp connects youth to traditional knowledge

By Rick Garrick

FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION — The Anishinabek Nation’s Indigenous Traditional Games camp was a hit with a group of children and parents on Aug. 17-18 in Fort William First Nation. The camp featured teachings about lacrosse and other traditional games for Indigenous youth aged seven to 12-years-old on Aug. 17 in the Fort William First Nation Community Centre and on Aug. 18 the Fort William First Nation Arena.

“This was a great opportunity for the kids to get together and play,” says Tara Kowtiash, a Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek citizen. “They’re having a lot of fun.”

Kowtiash says her two children also learned about the language and other information that was shared by facilitator Kevin Sandy, from Six Nations, during the camp.

“Even counting in [Anishinaabemowin], his was different than ours,” Kowtiash says. “We had a good weekend, it was fun and we learned a lot of new activities that I’ve never even seen or heard of, so it would be great to bring back this information to my community and for my community members as well.”

Tara Hedican, an Eabametoong citizen who lives in Kenora, says the camp was great.

“Our kids all love sports and it’s just kind of a good way to reconnect with family and have a fun time in the summertime,” Hedican says. “The facilitators were really amazing and very welcoming, showed us so many skills and we got to do so many things in the two days that we were here. They made traditional balls with raccoon tails inside and deer hide. We got to play a lot of games and learned the history of lacrosse and some other games they play in Six Nations. The kids were active the whole time and it was a really great experience for them.”

Ozaawaa Benesi Ikwe, a Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg citizen, says it was interesting to hear about how the deer is so important for the Haudenosaunee people in southern Ontario, noting that she grew up on the land hunting, fishing, and trapping.

“So in these traditional games, we’re also learning about the other pieces where those hides such as the deer hide and fox tail can be used in games to play alongside people, and that’s also ceremony as well, being able to spend time together and laugh,” Ozaawaa Benesi Ikwe says. “It’s been a joy to watch the confidence in my children develop and also a little bit of competition that comes out from them when they’re playing and just hearing their laughter. They’re making friends and connections and community, it’s all about community and relationships so that’s been beautiful.”

Andrea Aiabens, special project coordinator with the Labour Market Development Department at the Anishinabek Nation, says the main goal of the camp was to bring children together to learn more about culture and traditional games and to provide them with some fitness, health and nutrition.

“Our facilitator Kevin Sandy is knowledgeable in all the traditional games and culture that has gone on way before us to teach us about our past history,” Aiabens says. “[The children] are really enjoying all of the different traditional games, especially yesterday learning about the bone and toggle, double ball [and] caribou or moose antlers. I think they’re really enjoying it and they’re getting tired — there’s a lot of running.”

Aiabens says they received funding through the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care program for children up to 12-years-old.

“We’re going to have four more workshops across the region in Ontario to get more youth involved in sports and culture,” Aiabens says. “We’re going to have [workshops] in Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Rama, and Sarnia.”

Sandy says he has been delivering programs such as the Indigenous Traditional Games in First Nation and non-Indigenous communities for about 15 years.

“For me, it’s all about getting the participants to understand these games are more than just games, it’s not a sport for us, it’s our way of life,” Sandy says. “For us, it’s a medicine game, it’s a healing game, it was used to settle disputes, it’s a game that was played not only here on Mother Earth but what we’re taught, [as] the Haudenosaunee people, when we pass away there’s also a game waiting for us in the sky world because that’s where the game came from originally.”

Sandy says the Anishinabek had their own game, bagatawaywin, with a stick that was different from the lacrosse stick.

“All these stick ball games were used for a purpose and used for a meaning, and it connects people,” Sandy says. “I’m just trying to make sure they understand why we’re playing and why we still keep these games alive. I travel all over and it’s always interesting when you hear participants say, ‘Oh, these are sticks they used to use.’ But no, we still play with them and they’re still very much a part of our way of life.”