Kahnawake supports the Victoire
Community members from Kahnawake came out in full force for the Montreal Victoire’s Indigenous Celebration Game. Eve Cable The Eastern Door
Standing in the dressing room at Place Bell in front of professional hockey legends like Marie-Philip Poulin and Abby Roque might seem intimidating, but for 17-year-old Niiohentaa Diabo, the nerves melted away as soon as she started to speak.
The young hockey player had the opportunity to read the starting lineup for the Montreal Victoire last Sunday, ahead of their game against the Boston Fleet, as part of the team’s Indigenous Celebration game, one of multiple held across the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).
“I told them that I was very, very grateful that I got to come here and do this,” Diabo said.
She was accompanied by her sister, nine-year-old Iako’tarakehte Dailleboust, who also took part in the ceremonial puck drop and performed jingle dance with her mother, Konwatharani Jacobs, during the intermission.
“They all felt so warm and welcoming,” said Diabo, who read the starting lineup for the forwards, with her cousin taking on the defence and goalie starters. “I had an awesome time, and it just came out so easily.”
Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador regional chief Francis Verreault-Paul, who is also a former hockey player, joined Dailleboust for the puck drop, and Innu singer Élisabeth St-Gelais sang the national anthems ahead of the game.
Though the Victoire lost the game 4-3 in an overtime defeat, the afternoon was a thrill for many young hockey players from Kahnawake, who had the opportunity to attend thanks to tickets provided by the league – about 50 community members attended the game as a group.
Having young fans there was special for Victoire player Abby Roque, who has been building connections with Kahnawake over the past few months.
Roque, who is Ojibwe from Wahnapitae First Nation, recently spoke at Kahnawake Survival School (KSS) and led a hockey skills clinic with girls’ hockey players from town. After Sunday’s game, she hoped Kahnawake’s next generation of players were inspired.
“It’s great to see those many faces, they’re excited, they’re happy, they just want to see the game, and I think for some of them it’s an introduction to what hockey can bring you,” she said.
“It’s this professional league that we’ve built, and it’s amazing for them to be able to dream and do something like that if they want to.”
Community member Adysson Stacey opened the game with a land acknowledgement, which she read in Kanien’kéha, English, and French. She also performed smoke dance at the intermission, with fellow community member Kahawákhon Phillips, with singing by Atsenhakèniate Lazare.
“Being able to read anything in our language to anyone feels amazing considering I haven’t always been able to speak and read this well,” said Stacey, who is currently a student in the Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center’s Kanien’kéha Ratiwennahní:rats Adult Immersion Program. “The highlight of all of this was how happy I was and how happy others were, I got many messages saying how proud they were as well as they are happy to see some representation.”
For Kwaronienhawi Jacobs, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK)’s general manager of Sports and Recreation, it’s exciting to see relationships be built between the PWHL and Kahnawake.
She had welcomed Roque to the community earlier this year for a tour, which led to Roque returning to KSS in February and the arena for the skills clinic at the start of this month.
“It’s really cool, seeing everyone sitting in their seats and having an amazing time, just being so happy, it’s just amazing,” Jacobs said. “You walk around and everyone you see is from Kahnawake, and there’s natives all over the place dressed in their regalia and their outfits.”
Ten-year-old Emersyn Paul was one of the lucky attendees from the Kahnawake Minor Hockey Association (KMHA), and she was joined at the game by her mother, Kim Hawkins.
“I really like it that we got tickets to the game today, and the best part is all the goals that they get,” Paul said.
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Paul was accompanied by many of her teammates, who were excited to see people they recognized on the ice. Seeing their peers succeed, and pro players skate, is motivating, said Hawkins.
“It’s a real inspiration to see these girls playing, and especially for my daughter who’s a U11B right now, to see a women’s team be so successful,” she said. “This is our first time at a Victoire game, and it probably won’t be our last now, because she’s really enjoying it, and I’d love to see her succeed.”
Also performing at the intermission was Kahnawake’s own DJ PØPTRT, and a special auction is ongoing featuring a painting by Robin Tekaiakenhtha Marquis, leather mittens with Montreal Victoire logos embroidered by Wahsontahawi Stacey, and a framed beadwork by Graysen Moses.
“It was such a meaningful experience to be part of the Indigenous celebration. It’s incredible to see the proceeds giving back to the community,” said Wahsontahawi. “I especially love that our youth had the opportunity to witness such powerful collaboration and connection.”
The pieces can be bid on for two more days and can be found at therealest.com – all proceeds from the auction will go towards Kanatahkwèn:ke, the community’s soon-to-be-opened Cultural Arts Centre.
