Treaty 3 First Nations to be well represented at 2014 North American Indigenous Games
From Kenora Daily Miner and News.com
Treaty 3 First Nations to be well represented at 2014 North American Indigenous Games
By Brandon Logan - July 17, 2014
Tyanna Carpenter will be competing at the 2014 North American Indigenous Games next week. SUPPLIED/TYANNA CARPENTER
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Some of the best young athletes from across Canada will be meeting in Regina, SK, for the 2014 North American Indigenous Games next week. Locally, 60 athletes will be representing Treaty 3 First Nations in a variety of competitions including track and field, basketball, softball, volleyball, baseball, wrestling, rifle shooting, canoeing, golf and much more.
One of those athletes making the trip west is 13-year-old Daniel Cameron of Ochiichagwe'Babigo'Ining (Dalles) First Nation. Cameron will be participating in track and field in the U14 Division. The journey to Regina started back in winter when he ran his qualifying times to be eligible for the Games.
"I did my times at the Kenora Recreation Centre track and once I got the times for qualifying, my mother sent it in," Cameron said, noting that he and his family will be leaving on Friday. "I got accepted and I was really excited, but my mom was more happy."
After being accepted into the Games, Cameron has spent hours training for the competition.
"For the track, I've been running three kilometres every morning and for the field events like shot put, javelin and that stuff, I've been doing pushups and sit ups everyday," he explained, adding he needs to work on his field activities as his running is a strong point for him. "I definitely have to work on my field events like shot put, javelin and long jump."
Tyanna Carpenter of Wabaseemong (White Dog) First Nation will be looking to build off her bronze medal finish at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations' Wrestling Championships in Brampton, ON earlier this year. She originally thought OFSAA was the end of her wrestling career, but is excited that it will continue next week.
"They had tryouts in Thunder Bay and I talked to the coaches beforehand because I couldn't make it to the tryouts. I sent them some videos from my OFSAA experience," she said of the process to getting accepted. "I'm excited to get to represent this region again, not to have my wrestling career end earlier than I thought it would have and to hopefully continue the success I've had."
Apart from the competition, she's said taking in the entire experience with her family is a big deal, because she wasn't able to enjoy OFSAA with her close relatives.
"Hopefully the success I've had at OFSAA will continue and I want to enjoy the experience, because I'm really looking forward to the cultural aspects of it as well," Carpenter explained. "To be apart of that community is just great and to experience that with my family is great. My whole family is coming out and I'm pretty pumped because OFSAA was a little bit different and it was just me going, so now I have a support group there to cheer me on."
As for team sports, Jordan Jack, 14, from Wauzhushk Onigum (Rat Portage), was named to the U14 Ontario basketball team.
"I went for a basketball tryout in Sioux Lookout for the Indigenous Games and then I guess I was picked for how I played," he explained. "It was fun meeting new people and fun waiting and seeing who is on my team."
Jack said basketball has also been one of his favourite sports and he's looking forward to seeing the competition from across Canada.
"I was really excited because I wanted to go play basketball, because I find basketball fun and interesting," he said. "I like basketball because it's something to do, it's a great sport, it's good to meet new people in other places and a good opportunity to play against other teams from other places and we get to represent Ontario."
The 2014 North American Indigenous Games run from Sunday, July 20 to Sunday, July 27.
Here's where all 60 Treaty 3 First Nations athletes will be coming from:
Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation, 1
Big Grassy River First Nation, 4
Naotkamegwanning First Nation, 15
Couchiching First Nation, 3
Ochiichagwe'Babigo'Ining First Nation, 2
Wabaseemoong First Nation, 7
Mitaanjigamiing First Nation, 1
Big Island First Nation, 3
Onigaming First Nation, 5
Lac La Croix First Nation, 3
Wauzhushk Onigum First Nation, 4
Rainy River First Nation, 3
Red Lake, 1
Shoal Lake No. 39 First Nation, 1
Lac Seul First Nation, 2
Kenora, 1
Northwest Angle No. 37 First Nation, 2
Shoal Lake No. 40 First Nation, 1
Fort Frances, 1