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External Opportunity: NOMINATE A CHILD FROM YOUR COMMUNITY FOR THEIR CHANCE TO MEET CALGARY FLAMES DEFENCEMAN Travis Hamonic Travis Hamonic is of Métis descent and is extremely proud of his heritage. That’s why the Flames defenceman and his wife Stephanie have started the Travis Hamonic Community Program. Eligibility • Must be aboriginal • Must be between the age of 6-17 • Must be accompanied by a parent or Guardian Each trip includes: • Return airfare for two • 2 nights [...]

8 outstanding Aboriginal athletes receive prestigious award Chase B.C. (November 23rd, 2017) – The 2017 Premier’s Awards for Aboriginal Youth Excellence in Sport were presented to eight outstanding Aboriginal athletes from British Columbia’s Interior Region during a formal celebration held today at the Adams Lake Recreation Center in Chase, B.C. The Interior is the sixth of six regions to honour Aboriginal athletes through this unique province-wide awards program. I·SPARC Interior Regional Lead Bruce Baptiste said “We are proud to recognize [...]

8 outstanding Aboriginal athletes receive prestigious award Tsawout, B.C. (November 16th, 2017) – The 2017 Premier’s Awards for Aboriginal Youth Excellence in Sport were presented to eight outstanding Aboriginal athletes from British Columbia’s Vancouver Island Region during a formal celebration held today at the Tsawout Community Center in Saanichton, B.C. Vancouver Island is the fifth of six regions to honour Aboriginal athletes through this unique province-wide awards program. I·SPARC Vancouver Island Regional Co-Lead Wally Samuel said “This unique awards program [...]

8 outstanding Aboriginal athletes receive prestigious award Musqueam, B.C. (November 14th, 2017) – The 2017 Premier’s Awards for Aboriginal Youth Excellence in Sport were presented to eight outstanding Aboriginal athletes from British Columbia’s Vancouver Coastal Region during a formal celebration held today at the Musqueam Community Center in Vancouver, B.C. Vancouver Coastal is the fourth of six regions to honour Aboriginal athletes through this unique province-wide awards program. I·SPARC Vancouver Coastal Regional Lead Courtenay Gibson said ”Thank you to the [...]

8 outstanding Aboriginal athletes receive prestigious award Sts’ailes, B.C. (November 8th, 2017) – The 2017 Premier’s Awards for Aboriginal Youth Excellence in Sport were presented to eight outstanding Aboriginal athletes from British Columbia’s Fraser Region during a formal celebration held today at the Charlie Longhouse in Sts’ailes, B.C. The Fraser is the third of six regions to honour Aboriginal athletes through this unique province-wide awards program. I·SPARC Fraser Regional Lead Cheryl Charlie said ” I am really happy that we [...]

8 outstanding Aboriginal athletes receive prestigious award Terrace, B.C. (November 3rd, 2017) – The 2017 Premier’s Awards for Aboriginal Youth Excellence in Sport were presented to eight outstanding Aboriginal athletes from British Columbia’s Northwest Region during a formal celebration held today at Waap Galts’ap Community House in Terrace, B.C. The Northwest is the second of six regions to honour Aboriginal athletes through this unique province-wide awards program. “I am so honoured to be involved with the Premier’s Awards for Aboriginal [...]

8 outstanding Aboriginal athletes receive prestigious award Prince George, B.C. (October 30, 2017) – The 2017 Premier’s Awards for Aboriginal Youth Excellence in Sport were presented to eight outstanding Aboriginal athletes from British Columbia’s Northeast Region during a formal celebration held today at Nusdeh Yoh Elementary School in Prince George, B.C. The Northeast is the first of six regions to honour Aboriginal athletes through this unique province-wide awards program. “This is an important evening for the Northeast,” said Ken Edzerza, [...]

'I have never been so proud to be Aboriginal in my entire life,' says Katrina Haintz By Ash Kelly, CBC News Katrina Haintz attends the 2017 NAIG opening ceremonies with three of her daughters, Marquesis, Kaia & Mateya. (Photo Credit: Katrina Haintz) Katrina Haintz was 38 years old before she finally felt proud of her Indigenous heritage. She credits the North American Indigenous Games — which are currently underway in Toronto — for the shift. Haintz attended the 2014 NAIG events [...]

Marching to a new beat: Team B.C. brings new anthem, custom drums for Indigenous Games New theme song written in Chinook, an early common language of trade in the area By Ash Kelly, CBC News Posted: Jul 15, 2017 9:00 AM ET Team B.C. will be arriving at the North American Indigenous Games in style with a brand new theme song to drum up enthusiasm and energy. After a provincewide competition, the team's new anthem, composed by William Wasden Jr. from the Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw [...]

By Ash Kelly, CBC News 'She gave me purpose': B.C. rifle competitor inspires the man who taught her to hunt By the time she was 10 years old, Laatya James had shot her first deer It was 4:30 in the morning when an eight-year-old Laatya James asked her father if she could join him on one of his regular weekend hunting trips. Surprised by the request, Darryl James agreed and taught his daughter how to shoot a .22-calibre rifle. Within a year, [...]