'This is our game': Indigenous sport 'Double Ball' revived at Ochapowace First Nation tournament
A traditional sport was revived late last week in Ochapowace First Nation, with goals to expand the Indigenous game across the province.
“Double Ball” took to the fields of the Kakisiwew School on Ochapowace. The activities were led by the school’s Land Based Learning teacher, Lamarr Oksasikewiyin.
The students were given a week of practice, but for many it was the first time playing the sport on the field, competitively.
Five classes from neighbouring communities such as Whitewood and Kahkewistahaw made the trip to compete in the tournament.
Oksasikewiyin said traditionally in the area, the sport was only played by women, so they decided to run the tournament for the middle school girls.
Oksasikewiyin described the sport as similar to lacrosse or stickball. However, "double ball" pre-dates both sports.
As the tournament continued Thursday, Oksasikewiyin said the intensity ramped up as well, culminating to the final between Whitewood and Kahkewistahaw.
“Some of the teachers were saying some of the girls were timid in gym back home,” Oksasikewiyin said. “But when they came out here, they got super aggressive and they were really into the sport.”
A goal for Oksasikewiyin was to link this sport to Indigenous culture, something that meant a lot to Whitewood’s Kaley Starr.
“It’s really fun today. It was an intense game when we played, it was rough — but it was really fun,” the grade nine student explained.
The game includes contact, but the students were told to keep it within reason. According to Oksasikewiyin, traditionally there were no injury timeouts when the game was played in the past — that’s something they continued at the tournament.
Yet, a huge push from organizers was to teach the value of sportsmanship.
“That was probably the most important part because a lot of girls, they got hurt,” Oksasikewiyin said. “Some of them got rocked out on the field or they got wrapped by the willows there. In the end, they basically laid it all out on the line.”
Oksasikewiyin said he hopes the game catches on across the province, and continues to grow.
“This is our game, this is our sport,” he said. “We want people to play it more often because we do have things to contribute.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries 'Roots,' has died. He was 87.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Luxury cruise line selling world cruise suite for US$1.7 million
Luxury operator Regent Seven Seas Cruises is raising their price tag to eye-watering levels, with a suite on an upcoming 140-day world voyage costing US$1.7 million.
Why Kim Kardashian is being sued for 'knockoff' furniture
The estate of minimalist contemporary artist Donald Judd filed a lawsuit against Kardashian this week, claiming the fashion and beauty mogul promoted 'cheap knockoffs' of his furniture designs.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
A Filipino villager is nailed to a cross for the 35th time on Good Friday to pray for world peace
A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
King Charles will attend Easter Sunday service at Windsor
Buckingham Palace officials say King Charles III and Queen Camilla will attend an Easter service at the chapel at Windsor Castle on Sunday.