The Alberta Treaty Hockey Championships are returning to Calgary this upcoming weekend. Starting on Thursday and ending on Sunday the tournament brings together treaty-status athletes from across the province.
Courtesy: Ermineskin Cree Nation
After last weekend’s Native Hockey Provincials which is held in Edmonton, treaty athletes are excited to come to Calgary to play in this community-based tournament.
In Native Provincials Metis, Inuit and Treaty athletes can play for whichever team they choose however in treaties only treaty-registered athletes can participate and they can only play for the band that they are registered for, meaning that athletes aren’t able to play for teams of reserves they aren’t registered in. While some people think this is a controversial rule, some people argue it’s what makes the tournament unique.
I like that you can only play for your home reserve, compared to natives where you can bounce all over the teams here you have to play for your community and that is what makes this tournament special – Cherilyn Cardinal
Athletes who play for their communities in treaties say it’s a great feeling getting to play for their home and represent their reserve while playing with people they grew up with.
It’s a great time I really enjoy getting to represent my home community while playing with my brothers. It’s a sense of pride and community that I don’t get playing regular season hockey – Dominic Cardinal
Organizers of the Treaty Hockey Championships say that keeping the tournament community-based is their biggest goal because it brings community pride as everyone on the teams is from the reserve they are playing for. Treaties being community-based is what sets the tournament apart from other Indigenous hockey tournaments and championships.
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