A Sports-filled Summer for First Nations
by Armand LaPlante
for the Indigenous Times Newspaper
After a rainy start and some delays, the Sask First Nations Summer Games had a successful year on Thunderchild First Nation land. From August 6-11, over 3000 athletes competed in sports such as archery, golf, track & field and more while representing their home Nations and Tribal Councils.
This year the ACTC (Agency Chiefs Tribal Council) and MLTC (Meadow Lake Tribal Council) teams ranked at the top but scores are so close that the points are still being calculated and official results will not be posted until later this fall. Both teams spent months training and preparing and their hard work has paid off.
Aside from sports, the youth from all over the province were kept busy and content with daily entertainment, a career fair, and demonstrations from the Bold Eagle Program as well as the Pelican Lake RCMP Cadets.
The Games staff stated their appreciation for Chief Delbert Wapass, Councillors, Staff and the community of Thunderchild First Nation for volunteering their time and hosting the games on their land.
Congratulations to all the athletes, thank you to the coordinators for such a great and positive event and thanks to the Thunderchild First Nation. See everyone at the Sask First Nations Winter Games in Saskatoon in 2012.
Also this summer,the FSIN Fastball Championships took place at Dakota Dunes. The winners were Cowessess First Nation, in both men’s and women’s.
Official results are still pending, but the listed unofficial standings are as follows:
TEAM TOTAL POINTS
Meadow Lake Tribal Council 929.75
Agency Chiefs Tribal Council 927.50
Saskatoon Tribal Council 749.75
Touchwood Agency Tribal Council 711.50
Team Woodland 676.25
Onion Lake Cree Nation 408.00
Prince Albert Grand Council 396.50
File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council 360.25
Battleford Agency Tribal Council 283.25
South East Treaty 4 Tribal Council 267.75
Team Beardy's & Okemasis First Nation 251.00
Yorkton Tribal Council 192.75
Battlefords Tribal Council 191.75
Source: http://www.fsin.com/
MLTC (Meadow Lake Tribal Council) athletics team (above) scored big during the Track & Field event (submitted photo)
