Meadow Lake captures third straight Winter Games title

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The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations and South East Treaty 4 Tribal Council hosted the 1999 Saskatchewan Indian Winter Games from April 5 to 9. The event attracted close to 3,000 athletes from around the province.

Meadow Lake Tribal Council came out on top for the third straight year with 251 points. Meadow Lake represents 11 bands. Athletes from those communities were in the running in every sport: volleyball, badminton, broomball and hockey.

Prince Albert Grand Council finished second with 212 points. Agency Chiefs Tribal Council placed third with 185 points, edging out the Saskatoon Tribal Council who finished fourth with 179 points. Battleford Tribal Council finished with 176 points.

"It was a tough competition for all the tribal councils," said Glen Pratt, who helped organize the games. "If you look at the stats, you'll see that the race for third place was very competitive."

The main goal for most teams was to beat Meadow Lake and take their title away. But once again, no one was successful. The only sport where Meadow Lake didn't win a medal in each category was in hockey.

"Next year, other teams will be more prepared and work on their weak spots," said Pratt. "Right now, Prince Albert Grand Council are the number 1 contenders to possibly win next year's winter games title."

Pratt said it's important to remember the games aren't just about competition. He said it's also about pride and helping Aboriginal youth become stronger physically, emotionally, and culturally.

That's exactly how the opening ceremonies began, a grand entry, powwow dancers and the march into the Regina Agridome of each tribal council, proudly showing off their team colors. An opening prayer officially started the games, as well as some speeches from Native leaders, including Chief Perry Bellegarde of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations.

The entertainment included Gordon Favel Jr., Tashenna Wolfe, Brent Peekeekoot, Deressa Shingoose and Fara.

"I'm proud to be an Indian," said one athlete from Meadow Lake. "This is like an event where I can meet other people from around Saskatchewan. I'm not here just to win, I'm here to visit my friends and have a good time."

Many athletes had a great time. Even if their team finished in last place, they didn't care. they enjoyed the huge MuchMusic dance and the chance to make new friends.

The games are an annual event that are hosted by a different tribal council every year. There is also the 1999 Saskatchewan Indian Summer Games to be held on the Big River reserve this summer.

Teams are usually given a year to prepare but, with the unexpected demise of the North American Indigenous Games for this year creating a need for a made-in-Saskatchewan alternative, Glen Pratt and his crew were only given three months to make these games a reality.

"It was a hard obstacle to overcome, but we did it and we're proud of ourselves," said Pratt. "Next year we hope to have the games in January. This way we can actually have winter sports like skiing, skidoo races, and curling. Hopefully, we can have 10 sports instead of just four and also have basketball."

The games had a website where participants could register on-line. A total of 2,200 athletes, coaches, managers, and chaperones registered. Pratt believes the games have become so big that small communities won't be able to host them. Therefore they'll have to be held in cities like Saskatoon, North Battleford, Regina or Prince Albert.

Other non-sporting events included a round dance, a talent show, a MuchMusic dance and a sports luncheon that featured many special guest role models like Reggie Leach (former NHLer), Angela Chalmers and Sandra Schmirle (Olympic medal winners), Kenton Randal (World Champion Bronc Rider). There was also a pro-amateur boxing event that saw Willard Lewis take on Steven Speidely.

Many basketball fanatics wondered why their game wasn't included in this year's program. Pratt explained that he and his crew had only thee months to prepare, and were only able to raise enough money for the four mandatory sports.

"Otherwise we would have had basketball. Last year, it was a demonstrator sport,." Pratt said. "I was trying my hardest to get basketball in the program because I saw the way it was growing in urban areas. Just imagine the number of athletes we could have had if basketball was there. But, because we didn't have enough funds, we couldn't make another sport work. Also, the games technical manual says there is only room for one demonstration sport. So we went with boxing because it was something we could manage. But I think it was a good turnout. It was a great experience for everyone"

The closing ceremonies started with speeches by many community leaders.

Then there was the presentation of medals to the top three tribal councils as well as the most improved tribal council. The games ended with a closing prayer by Senator Henry Whitstone, a victory song by the Eagle Claw Singers and an honor song by the Crooke Lake Agency Singers.

After everything wrapped up, athletes, coaches, and chaperones all went back to their homes to bring back the news of how much fun it was and how they couldn't wait for the 1999 Saskatchewan Indian Summer Games on the Big River Reserve.