Tribal council cross-country meet a great success

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On September 21, the Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) staged its first-ever sanctioned athletic competition, a cross-country meet hosted by the Kinistin First Nation. Drawing competitors from six area athletic clubs-Kinistin, Mistawasis, Yellow Quill, the White Buffalo Youth Lodge, the Tisdale Track Club and the Battlefords Multisport Club-the event was labeled a great success by STC organizer Marvin Sanderson, and by all the weary winners and participants.

"The meet was by all means a success," said Sanderson, youth sport and recreation coordinator for the STC. "The comments I got from the Saskatchewan athletics director, the five clubs and the host were all positive."

The event featured nine races, though with only six participating clubs, four categories had only a single entrant. Competitors raced around a demanding two-kilometer loop that included grass, gravel, sand and endurance-testing hills.

In peewee girls 2,000 metre, Brandy Bird of Mistawasis took gold in 10:21. Julien Baptiste of the Battlefords club won peewee boys 2,000 metre in 8:49. Leanna Moccasin, also of Battleford, triumphed in bantam girls 2,000 metre with an even 10:00 time. In bantam boys 2,000 metre, Dustin Whitefish from Mistawasis took gold in 9:05.

At the longer distances, golds were captured by Mistawasis' Marina Daniels in midget girls 3,000 metre, Yellow Quill's Sheldon Bluebell in midget boys 4,000 metre, Kinistin's Eric Kinniewess in juvenile boys 6,000 metre, White Buffalo's Brandy Moccasin in junior/senior girls 6,000 metre, and White Buffalo's Jeff Mooswa in junior/senior boys 8,000 metre.

With this being the first running of what organizers are planning as an annual event, the STC cross-country meet winners received a bonus distinction in addition to their gold medals.

"We have all new records, as this is our first one ever," noted Sanderson. "The kids are enthusiastic because they'll hold an event record for at least one year.

As an added treat for attendees, and as a way to inspire the participants, two medal-winning distance runners from the recent North American Indigenous Games in Winnipeg took part in the meet. Jeff Mooswa and Brandi Moccasin were invited to the Kinistin event not only to showcase their skills, but also to provide role models for the younger athletes, showing them the requirements and potential rewards of an athlete's life. The role model program is something that will be a part of all future STC athletic events.

The Saskatoon Tribal Council is an institution that assists First Nations governments in the Saskatoon area through numerous educational, health, labor, justice and social programs. It consists of seven First Nations located within 250 km of Saskatoon, representing Cree, Saulteaux and Dakota Sioux cultures. The STC youth sport and recreation program is a recent addition to the council's initiatives, and Sanderson is looking forward to building on the success of the Kinistin cross-country meet with many more athletic events.

"We hope to see more clubs next year," he explained. "This is just the start of many things to come in the Saskatoon Tribal Council youth sport and recreation program."