Montreal Victoire welcome Kahnawake

Fourteen-year-old Laila Ken’niwa’kera:sa McComber was nervous, and a little chilly, as she stepped out to dance at the Montreal Victoire’s Indigenous Heritage Unity Game last weekend.

As she began her smoke dance, her red and pink regalia swinging to the beat, she realized she had nothing to be worried about. The fans packing the stands of Place Bell had come to watch the Toronto Sceptres take on the Montreal Victoire in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), but in that moment, they were there to watch her.

“They were clapping and just cheering the whole time, so it was really nice to dance and just feel the support,” McComber said.

“They just boosted up my confidence, and it was really fun.”

McComber was joined by her younger sister, 10-year-old Isabella Karonhia:a Cross, and 13-year-old Nash Mayo. The three young dancers gave fans a taste of what Kahnawake is all about, with Mayo’s father, Owen Skahionwiio Mayo, singing and drumming.

Cross said that when she went into school on Monday, her principal and some of her teachers said they’d seen her dancing at the game.
“That was kind of cool,” Cross said.

Owen said that he’s sometimes nervous to share his culture with city crowds, having received online hate when being involved in events that are seen by a non-local audience. But the environment at the PWHL game ended up being the highlight of the day.

“The reaction and the connection we had with the crowd was definitely special. We were really feeling the love from Laval and from Montreal,” he said.

Owen said he and the rest of the group from Kahnawake felt that the team at the Victoire went the extra mile to make the day count, even down to the hype music throughout the game, which was coordinated by Kahnawake’s very own DJ Pøptrt. Special edition artwork was also created for the event by Oneida artist Alanah Astehtsi̲’ Otsistóhkwaˀ (Morningstar) Jewell, and her design of a hockey player with a long braid was sold as a poster at the arena.

The league also said they made a donation to the Aboriginal Sport Circle in honour of the event, though did not publicly share the amount.

“They took really good care of us,” Owen said. “The whole outcome of the event was beyond my expectations, and I thought it was beautiful to be a part of.”
Owen and the dancers were invited to the event by Ka’nahsohon Kevin Deer, who had been contacted by Hockey Canada to do a land acknowledgement. He decided to recite the Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen (Thanksgiving Address) and asked fellow Kahnawa’kehró:non Konwatsitsawi Meloche to join him to translate the words into French.

“The crowd was overwhelmingly enthusiastic, so that was good,” said Deer.

His choice to share the Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen instead of a basic land acknowledgement was a purposeful one.

“I try to give them some Indigenous ways of knowing,” he said.

Cross, who was also dancing in an arena for the first time, said it was a highlight to see Deer and Meloche speaking to the crowd.

“They were explaining how the land that everybody was on is ours,” Cross said.

The feeling of admiration was mutual, Meloche said.

“The highlight was watching the young people perform the smoke dance,” Meloche said. “They were so graceful and full of energy, they were beautiful.”

Meloche said it was a privilege to be at the game and see Indigenous inclusion in hockey, adding that in future, she’d like to see teams taking it a step further, by introducing their athletes and sports to Onkwehón:we youth and communities.

It’s proven possible before - the Montreal Alouettes, for example, have held football clinics in Kahnawake for the past two years, with players interacting with youth while fundraising for Orange Shirt Day.

With one sold-out arena under her belt, McComber - and her fellow dancers - will be ready to answer the call the next time the Victoire need them.

“Each time I perform, I’m more confident,” McComber said. “I’m getting used to it when I go on, and I know that everyone will support me either way.”

[email protected]