In recognition of National Indigenous Peoples Day, Hockey Alberta is proud to share stories from across the province’s hockey community.
When Hockey Alberta partnered up with Indigenous Sport Council Alberta (ISCA) in 2019, the goal behind the partnership was to provide improved and enhanced opportunities for Indigenous hockey participants across the province.
ISCA is the provincial sports body for Indigenous youth in Alberta, who provides funding, opportunities and engagement with the First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities across the province.
Nearly four and a half years later, the two sides have seen growth and development of the sport of hockey in Indigenous communities across Alberta which includes representing Team Alberta at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championship (NAHC).
Al Blackwater, a board member for ISCA since 2018, says the partnership they’ve built with Hockey Alberta has been beneficial for both parties.
“I’m enjoying this relationship that we’ve built with Hockey Alberta, giving Indigenous youth the opportunity to further their skills and seeing how they can compete at elite level hockey,” Blackwater said. “All the minor hockey associations across Alberta, sort of flows through Hockey Alberta and they’re the main channel of the sport in this province. So, it was kind of a no brainer for us to get that assistance and guidance from Hockey Alberta.”
Blackwater added that the biggest area of growth that he’s noticed has been regarding the NAHC tournament. NAHC is an annual event that provides a forum for elite U18 Indigenous male and female youth and attracts participation from First Nation, Inuit, and Métis across the 13 provinces and territories.
Both Alberta’s male and female teams have seen consistent improvements with the female team winning two medals in the four-year span and the male team proving they can compete with any of the other provinces.
“The Indigenous Sport Council Alberta has always been the lead when it comes to the NAHC tournament, but over the years it’s really lacked,” Blackwater said. “I can honestly say there wasn’t really any dollars being put towards it and there wasn’t really any kind of proper structure. It was getting to the point where it was a question of ‘who wants to run Team Alberta?’ With Hockey Alberta and the relationship we’ve built now, it’s been fantastic. I find that one of the best things to come from it has been that Indigenous athletes are looking at Hockey Alberta. Looking at all the different programs Hockey Alberta has … it’s a lot of good opportunities for our athletes, fair opportunities and it’s made life at ISCA a lot easier.”
On top of there being more structure and funding pushed into the Team Alberta NAHC program, Blackwater said it’s also given athletes the opportunity to compete and showcase their skills.
“Kids from the South weren’t really getting looked at and now those doors have opened up for them as well as other kids who maybe weren’t getting their chance,” he said. “There are some elite athletes across Alberta that are now participating in these tryout camps and tournaments, so I think it’s great that we’re trying to make sure we don’t leave anybody out and the youth know they have that opportunity.”
While that area has improved since the partnership, Blackwater says that inclusion and outside financial factors are still things that Indigenous communities face in sports.
“I think when you play that elite sport, it comes down to that financial aspect. I grew up right from the reserve and I had parents that worked hard and allowed me to participate in sports and make it to a higher level. But sometimes there are kids that don’t get that opportunity because it comes down to the money,” Blackwater said. “Hockey is the biggest sport in Canada, but if you want to make it to the elite level, you’ve got to have money and I think that hurts some communities. We get a lot of donations through KidSport or through the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation and if we can provide some funding for our athletes that can help assist them to that next level, then we will. But it’s certainly a challenge for some kids and hopefully we can get to a spot where if you’re good enough, you’ll have all the opportunity to make it.”
The ISCA provides grant opportunities for Indigenous athletes, including the ISCA Elite Athlete Grant Application.
ISCA ELITE ATHLETE GRANT APPLICATION >
Selection camps for the 2025 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships will take place August 8-11, in Red Deer at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre. The championship tournament will be held May 5-10, 2025, in Kamloops, British Columbia.
2025 NAHC TRYOUT APPLICATION >
