Breaking New Ground: Indigenous Teams Participate in Newfoundland and Labrador Summer Games

Posted by Qalipu on
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Pictured here: Chief Mitchell visits the Mi’kmaq Beach Volleyball team at a practice in Corner Brook in advance of the Newfoundland and Labrador Summer Games. Back row (L-R) Jerry Wetzel, Logan Pittman, Chris Park, Chief Mitchell, Front row (L-R) Ashley Parsons and Alex Williams.

 

2016 was a special year for the Newfoundland and Labrador Summer Games this past August 13-21: It marked the first time, anywhere in Canada, that a province invited indigenous nations to enter their own teams.  Qalipu First Nation and Miawpukek First Nation combined their athletes to form Team Mi’kmaq.  Teams were also entered by the Innu Nation, Nunatsiavut and NunaKavut.

Jerry Wetzel, Chair of the Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Circle whose organization negotiated with the province to invite indigenous nations to put their teams into the games, spoke highly of the experience, and the athletic abilities and competitiveness of our Mi’kmaq athletes.

“Team Mi’kmaq had male and female athletes competing in Beach Volleyball and track & field (Athletics) events.  The girls beach volleyball team were 2 and 2 in the round robin.  They made the quarter finals, but lost in a tie breaking match with the team from Conception Bay South, the team that eventually won gold.  Our girls were younger than the other teams that played but, showed their athletic abilities and persistence in all of their games.  The boys’ volleyball team, with one member of the team only 12 years old, held their own against older and taller teams.  In Athletics, our one-man team (Spencer Hewitt) finished 5th in the shot-put, 6th in the 200 metre run, and 5th in the 100 metre run.”

A number of volunteers stepped up to coach Team Mi’kmaq.  Special thanks go out to Dean Simon (Athletics coach), Ben Rogers (Girls Beach Volleyball), and Cohen Chalk (Boys Beach Volleyball).  We also acknowledge Fintan Gaudet, a Qalipu member, and the vice president of Volleyball Newfoundland who was responsible for the training of Team Mi’kmaq Beach Volleyball.

This was good first step toward greater inclusion of indigenous peoples in the games.  Wetzel noted he is looking forward to an invitation to the Winter Games in 2018, and maybe even the North American Indigenous Games in Toronto in 2017

Keep an eye on Qalipu.ca for future games and your chance to learn about future tryouts, and coaching opportunities.