Golf brings teen closer to grandmother and Indigenous history
Ryan Blair realizes how fortunate he is compared to past experience
When the prairies of Manitoba defrost from a bitter winter, Ryan Blair eagerly moves from the hockey rink to his favourite place, the golf course.
The 13-year-old will be hoping to get a hole in one during his time at the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) that run in Toronto and the surrounding area July 16-23.
Since Blair was an infant, he's had an affinity for golf, watching the sport on TV with his father, who is also an avid player.
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As a toddler, he fashioned his first golf club out of a magic wand toy belonging to his sister, before receiving a real set at age three. By the time he was eight he was competing all across Canada and the U.S.
Blair says he loves golf for the adrenaline rush and the feeling he gets when he makes a good swing.
"The feeling of getting it in [the hole] and the feeling of success is awesome," says Blair, who has a dream of competing in the Masters at famed Augusta National Golf Club.
Blair says golf has also brought him closer to his grandmother, whom he considers a huge influence on his life.
"We can go out and have fun and we can have such a good time playing a sport together," he says.
When Blair and his grandmother aren't on the putting greens, she still serves as a means of support.
"Whenever I'm stressed out about golf or homework, she says, 'Oh brother, just have fun,'" he says.
Learning his Indigenous history
While Blair's family hails from New Brunswick, his Indigenous ancestry comes from the Fisher River Cree Nation near Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba.
"Even though I don't understand Cree, I just get to hear and I get to listen to my background," he says.
His Indigenous background also touches on a darker side of Canadian history. At 13, his grandmother was taken away to residential school. Being the same age now as she was when it happened, he can't imagine what it would feel like to be separated from his family.
He recounts a story from his grandmother where a letter from her parents, written in Cree, was torn up before she could read it.
"It's sickening almost ... and just bad," Blair says.
He compares her experience with his time at NAIG, and is grateful for being able to have the ability to still talk to his family while in Toronto.
"Being away from family for a week, and I'll be able to contact them through email or text, and her not being able to talk to them [her family] that's just crazy," he says.
Grandmother became a teacher
He adds he's proud of his grandmother for overcoming her struggles with residential school and becoming a teacher.
"If I met her when I was 13 and she was 13, I never would've thought she would've become the person she is today," he says.
While his grandmother won't be able to tag along to the games in Toronto, he knows she's proud of him.
"I think she's pretty amazed I get to go and play golf with other Indigenous people," he says.
Looking past NAIG, Blair recalls a visit to Augusta National Golf Club when he was eleven. He was inspired by the greens that have hosted the Masters since 1934. Blair hopes one day he can become good enough to win.