Strong performance by Team Kahnawake

The 186 athletes, coaches, and volunteers that made up Team Kahnawake at this year’s First Nations Education Council (FNEC) Inter-School Games have a lot of hardware to go with their hard work, winning 55 medals.

The students from Kahnawake Survival School (KSS), Kateri School, Karonhianónhnha Tsi Ionterihwaienstáhkhwa, and Karihwanó:ron Tsi Ionterihwaienstáhkhwa won 17 gold medals, 12 silver, four bronze, 11 fourth-place medals, and 11 fifth-place medals.

Most of Team Kahnawake’s medals came in track-and-field events, but they also won medals in the Ancestor’s Challenge, trail running, volleyball, and ball hockey.

Konwaienhawi Dione, a teacher at Karihwanó:ron who has been to the games as a chaperone for more than decade, said that having the four schools team up together again this year has been a great way for the students to form bonds with kids from other schools they might not otherwise interact with.

“This year, some of them were on the same team again, so they reconnected. It was really good. It was really nice to see that,” said Dione.

Dione, as the “sports person” at Karihwanó:ron, helped with the preparation and organization of the eight students who participated with Team Kahnawake.

As chaperone, not only was she able to see her students compete, she was also able to see her three children at the games on the same team, as they all go to different schools - Karihwanó:ron, Karonhianónhnha, and KSS.

“It was good to be able to be there and watch them, and for them to have that support too.  I know a lot of parents aren’t able to go, it’s pretty expensive, but it felt really good to be able to watch them,” said Dione.

School bus driver Kaniehtakeron Gilbert was also at the games, volunteering to stick around the Laval University campus to provide transportation.

While there, he made sure to photograph and record as much action as possible, sharing it on his Facebook page for family members who could not go and attend the games in Quebec City.

“I appreciate it when people do it for me as well. So, I just wanted to do that and post it online and let people share away and take what they need and see what they want,” said Gilbert.

As a bus driver, Gilbert has been there to see the students throughout their preparation for the games.

“I’m not directly involved, but I see them all year, I just encourage them,” said Gilbert.

“The hard work that the kids put in throughout the year, and then to see it all come out on the floor, on the court, or on the track or what have you, whatever sport that they’re playing, it’s fun to see.”

Even setting aside their medal count, which was lower than the 76 won last year, Team Kahnawake certainly put in the hard work, training since the fall for the games.

Kateri School student Angus Goodleaf was winner of one of the 17 gold medals, finishing first in shotput in the 10-year-old boy category with a 5.23-metre throw, almost two metres further than the next-closest competitor. He also played ball hockey.

His mother, Deidre Diabo, said that she and his father Jay Goodleaf were both very happy for Angus, who was competing in the games for the first time.

“We were very excited and proud when we found out he placed first for shotput,” said Diabo.

“He likes to play it cool, but you could tell he was really proud to bring that medal home.”

While Diabo said her son felt a little homesick at first, it was an overall positive experience for him.

“He was thrilled to attend his first FNEC games this year, especially after being too young to go last year,” said Diabo.

“He definitely wants to go again next year.”

As someone on-site, Gilbert said the chaperones helped a lot with making the students feel safe, supported, and at home even if they were far away - as did the students themselves, who encouraged each other throughout.

“You see the anxiety that some of them are facing, the fear and the nerves earlier on in the week, and then later on in the week after they’ve settled in, and the competition’s ongoing, and you see some of those wins in their face, that’s probably the best part for me,” said Gilbert. “You see a shy child that’s not very outgoing, keeping to themselves, and they come out of their shell a little bit, and they realize that we’re here with the family. It’s not my immediate family, but they are my family.”

Following the end of games, parties, and banquet, the busloads of students returned to town on Sunday afternoon, receiving a hero’s welcome back to town that was organized on the Kahnawake Education Center’s Facebook page.

The games were successful as a whole, not just for Kahnawake, said Inter-School games coordinator David Gill.

“They went very well, we always have situations that we need to take care of, as these are kids that are outside of their communities, they are having fun but sometimes they are pushing a little hard when it comes to rules, but this is not unusual, we are used to it,” said Gill.

“It was a super nice edition and we’re already looking forward to 2026.”

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