Fred Sasakamoose, One of the First Indigenous N.H.L. Players, Dies at 86 by Mike Ives
Coronavirus: Indigenous NHL pioneer Fred Sasakamoose dies from COVID-19
Fred Sasakamoose began skating on blades his grandfather had tied to his moccasins. His hockey stick was a willow branch. A disk of cow manure served as the puck. The rink was a frozen lake.
It was a far cry from the National Hockey League. But that is where he landed.
Sasakamoose played only 11 games in the N.H.L. as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1953-54 season. But his impact was outsized: Sasakamoose was one of the first Indigenous athletes to play Canada’s national pastime at the highest level.
That turned him into a hero for First Nations people in a country that often marginalized them. He later spent decades mentoring and encouraging young Indigenous players across the country; in 2018 he was made a member of the Order of Canada, one of the nation’s highest civilian honors.
“There’ve been many Indigenous players since I started, but it’s good to think I inspired Indian kids way back then,” Sasakamoose wrote in a memoir, “Call Me Indian,” to be published in April. “Showed them, showed everyone, that we could make it in the white world. That’s more important than any award.” To read more go to the link below:
