Sagkeeng Oldtimers hockey team inducted into North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame

The Sagkeeng Oldtimers hockey team was inducted into the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame (NAIAHF) at a banquet in Green Bay, Wis., last weekend.

The team, made up of players ranging in age from 35 to over 50, was based in Sagkeeng First Nation, about 100 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. It was active for over two decades, playing tournaments through the Canadian Oldtimers Hockey Association in the U.S., Europe and Canada.

NAIAHF says the team qualified for the induction because they won the national cup in 1987. 

Ken Young, who is from Opaskwayak Cree Nation in Manitoba but has been in Sagkeeng "for forever," played with the team for 20 years. He attended the banquet in Green Bay and said it was fun.

"The joking around and the teasing was back, like the way it was," he said.

WATCH | Sagkeeng Oldtimers enter the hall of fame:

Sagkeeng Oldtimers inducted into North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame

8 months ago

Duration 2:11

A hockey team made up mostly of residential school survivors was inducted into the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame at a banquet in Green Bay, Wis., last weekend.

He said hockey helped him heal and cope with the hard times in life. 

"You can't live life being bitter like a lot of us were after we left Indian residential school," he said.

Young said being on the team taught him to get along with people all over the world and to always be respectful regardless of the situation. 

"There were some hockey teams that we played against that were not very friendly to our people," said Young.

"But the teams that I remember that we beat … that was very satisfying."

Phil Fontaine played on the team for about 15 years. He said it was a privilege to represent his home, Sagkeeng First Nation, in a positive way.

He said unlike professional players who get paid, they all played for the love of the game. 

"We came across others that enjoy playing hockey as much as we did so we had a lot of games that were really quite competitive," he said.

"We played the Finns, we played the Swedes, we played Norwegians, so the experience was pretty wide and varied."

Walter and Verna Fontaine founded the team. Their daughter, Darlene Ahmo, said the couple's dedication and leadership brought out the best from their community.

"They just kept working really hard. That's what I remember about both of them," she said.

Darlene's son Josh Redbear-Ahmo said it wasn't until he got older that he realized his grandparents were doing something special. When they weren't travelling the world, he remembers the Oldtimers teaching youth hockey camps. 

Redbear- Ahmo said it's been an honour to see the continuing impact of their work. 

"My respect and my feelings for them just grows daily," he said.