And now, something for the skaters

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A bit of history will be made at the Gaylord Powless Arena in Ohsweken, Ont. early next year. The Six Nations Skating Club is playing host to the inaugural First Nations Skating Competition on Jan. 3 and 4. The event is believed to be the first skating meet in the country restricted to Native athletes.

"We have First Nations hockey and basketball tournaments and we have the Indigenous games," said Glenda Porter, president of the Six Nations Skating Club. "But we've never had anything for the skaters before. I guess nobody has taken the initiative to do this before. But now, hopefully, this will become an annual event."

Porter is hoping to have at least 100 participants for January's competition. The Six Nations club, which has been operating for 27 years, is expected to have about 50 entrants at the event.

Porter said she knows of three other all-Native skating clubs in Ontario. They are located in Akwesasne, Walpole Island and West Bay. All three are expected to send representatives to the January meet.

Porter said it is difficult to speculate how many First Nations skaters throughout the province belong to non-Native clubs. Anyone with some Native ancestry is eligible to take part at the Ohsweken meet.

Porter is also hoping to have some out-of-province competitors. The club has received some interest in the event from skaters outside Ontario since the Aboriginal Sports Circle-the country's national voice for Native sports-has promoted the meet on its Web site.

Competitors from the Yukon, British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland have so far expressed some interest.

"I really can't estimate how many will come," Porter said of participants outside Ontario. "I hope some do."

Porter is also hoping plenty of spectators attend the competition. The Gaylord Powless rink has a fan capacity of about 1,000 and Porter would love to see the facility filled on both days. There will be free admission throughout the meet.

Porter estimates the event will cost about $10,000 to put on. Besides athlete entry fees, organizers will also recoup some money via program sales.

The event's largest expense-about $3,000-will be for the rental of ice. Other costs include purchasing medals and ribbons for the awards presentations, as well as hiring of judges, some of whom will be from out-of-town and will have to be put up in area hotels for at least one night.

At present, there are not believed to be any skaters with Native ancestry competing at the national level.

"We need to build up to that point," Porter said. "Maybe this event will help to encourage them to get to that level."

Porter is also hoping to see the First Nations Skating Competition become a fixture.

"We would like to rotate it so our kids can go somewhere else," she said. "But if nobody else wants to host it [in 2005], I would imagine we'd do it again."