National Day of Truth & Reconciliation
Today marks the 1st National Day of Truth & Reconciliation. Through education & reflection, we ask #StormCity to join us in honouring the victims & survivors of residential schools. Storm blueliner Michael Buchinger leads the conversation.
Feature: My Roots with Michael Buchinger
Trigger Warning: Article discusses residential schools.
To commemorate National Indigenous History Month (June) and National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21) the Guelph Storm recognize the history, heritage and diversity of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples in Canada.
Also, considering the ongoing horrendous discovery of the remains of children at residential schools across the country, we express our deepest condolences and stand with Indigenous communities in the fight against racism institutionally and socially.
In our efforts to bring more conversation and awareness to the history of Indigenous folks, we sat down with our 2020 OHL Priority Selection 24th overall pick, Michael Buchinger to discuss his Indigenous roots and the importance of preserving his culture in hockey and across Canada.
As a proud member of the Ojibwe (Ojibwa, Ojibway, and Chippewa) and Wikwemikoong community, Buchinger comes from a bloodline of strong Indigenous women.
Ojibwe background: The Ojibwe are an Indigenous community in North America who are part of a larger cultural group known as the Anishinaabeg. By the early 1600s, the Ojibwe were a well-established community in and around Sault. Ste Marie, Ontario. Today, the Ojibwe are the second-largest First Nations population, surpassed only by the Cree.
Wikwemikoong background: Wikwemkoong Unceded Territory is a proud, progressive, and prosperous First Nation steeped in the Indigenous culture and language of the Anishinabek. Their home is centered on Odawa Mnis and the surrounding islands in Lake Huron—their lands are Unceded.
Michael’s grandmother was an Anishinaabeg woman from Manitoulin Island and a residential school survivor. Unfortunately, last year, Michael’s grandmother passed away at the age of 74. Michael remembers his grandmother as a strong, sweet and down-to earth woman who gave him many teachings of his Indigenous heritage.
Buchinger shared: “My grandmother really taught me a lot about nature and to value the simple things that sometimes we may overlook or take for granted,”, he added: “I’ve learned to value and be thankful for a lot of the everyday things like nature, food and shelter.
Despite decades of buried pain, Michael’s grandmother never discussed in full detail with him the horrors she experienced while growing up on a reserve and in a residential school. Instead, she focused mainly on sharing with Michael the foundations of their Ojibwe culture and traditions.
“Growing up I would often go to Powwows and that’s where I learned a lot about the Ojibwe traditions,” said Buchinger. “Powwows are a very traditional and sacred event, where many tribes practice a variety of celebrations like dancing, singing, and honouring the traditions of our ancestors. For example, some Indigenous peoples participate in ‘smudging’ with sage, sweet grass and cedar”.
Throughout her life, Michael’s grandmother practiced Midewiwin—a religion essential to the worldview of the Ojibwa, and to some other Algonquin and Woodland Indigenous peoples. The religious society is made up of spiritual advisors and healers, known as the Mide. They perform religious ceremonies, study and practice sacred healing methods and strive to maintain a respectful relationship between humanity and Mother Earth.
This balanced relationship between humanity and the Earth has been orally expressed through stories generation after generation. There’s one story in particular that Michael’s grandmother shared with him that has stuck, and it’s the story of Turtle Island and Sky Woman. For some Indigenous peoples, Turtle Island refers to the continent of North America with the name originating from various Indigenous oral histories that tell stories of a turtle that holds the world on its back. For some Indigenous folks, the turtle is considered an icon of life, and thus the story of Turtle Island speaks to various spiritual and cultural beliefs.
“It’s not really like any of the classic fairytales that most of us grew up on,” said Buchinger. “It’s more about nature and being thankful for what the earth provides us.”
The story of Turtle Island varies amongst Indigenous communities, but by most accounts, it acts as a creation story that places emphasis on the turtle as a symbol of life and earth. In some Ojibwe oral traditions, the story of Turtle Island begins with a flooded earth. The Creator had cleansed the world of feuding peoples to begin a new life, yet some animals survive the flood, such as the loon, muskrat, and turtle.
To re-create the world, the animals had to swim deep beneath the water to collect soil. With both the loon and turtle failing, the last animal to try was the muskrat. The muskrat was under the water for a very long time, but when it resurfaced, the little animal had wet soil in its paws. Although the journey took the muskrat’s life, the creature didn’t die in vain (keep reading!).
Next, Sky Woman, a pregnant and supernatural-being, fell through a hole under the roots of a tree and descended to Earth. Gently guided down by birds, Sky Woman was placed safely onto the turtle’s back. In this version, the soil gathered by the muskrat was used to make a willing on the turtle’s back, forming a new land for Sky Woman and her descendants—ultimately becoming the story known as Turtle Island, the center of creation.
“I think there’s a lot of misconceptions around Indigenous culture and history because of what’s been taught, or not taught to us in school,” said Buchinger. “One thing I’ve noticed is that many are quick to think our traditions are weird or outdated.”
The story of Turtle Island deeply connects many Indigenous peoples to their land and environment by establishing a strong bond between living off and taking care of the land. This story is significant to some Indigenous peoples because it reconnects them with their roots and provides a sense of identity.
Like Michael’s grandmother, many Indigenous folks were removed from their families at a young age to attend Residential schools. For those not familiar with the history of residential schools, the Canadian government, and the Catholic church, forcefully removed Indigenous children from their families and relocated them to residential schools where they were forbidden to speak their native language and stripped of their cultural identity. Children between the ages of four and 16 suffered physical, sexual, verbal, and mental abuse at the hands of the government and church, leaving thousands of them either dead or severely traumatized.
“The purpose of Residential schools was to strip Indigenous children of their culture, language and traditions but since the closing of Residential schools more Indigenous peoples are returning to their traditional beliefs,” said Buchinger. “But I think it’s still important for non-indigenous people to help us keep the traditions alive by giving us the space and opportunity to express our culture.”
When Michael says it’s important for non-Indigenous folks to help keep the [Indigenous] traditions alive, he’s referring to the establishment and maintenance of inclusive spaces for cultural expression. Whether that be, incorporating traditional Indigenous music or dance back into the everyday routine, or introducing a refined and updated educational curriculum to students on Canadian Indigenous history.
In consideration of this absent space for cultural expression, Michael, and his family travel to Manitoulin Island to meet up with his uncles, aunts, and cousins as a tradition each summer. He describes it as a family-reunion where they spend a lot of time together outdoors and at the beach enjoying the greenery and calmness of the islands.
“Up in Manitou it’s pretty calm and there’s not much going on. It’s really different from being in city because it’s a lot less populated,” said Buchinger. “So, every time I go up there, there’s this calming factor that’s just peaceful.”
Maintoulin Island, the largest island in the world located in a lake, historically served the Odawa peoples in the 17th century. Many First Nation groups settled on the island before the provincial government purchased most of the land from the First Nations in 1862 (except for the most northeastern section). By this time, settlers were arriving and clearing farms. Today, the island’s First Nations now live on small reserves, including Wikwemikong, the unceded reserve of the Odawa and Ojibwa.
Michael notes his grandmother’s community had a hockey team and that it served as a form of escapism for some, and as recreation and fun for others. Historically there’s always been a relationship between hockey and Indigenous folks that dates to before the start of the twentieth century. Despite there being entire teams and leagues of Indigenous hockey players (ex: 1928 Cree and Ojibway Hockey Tour), today there’s an under representation of Indigenous men at the elite or pro level.
Michael doesn’t recall ever playing with or against another Indigenous hockey player at the elite level. However, he does admit that it wasn’t something he was talking about or heard others talking about. But now by sharing his Ojibwe culture with us, he hopes to inspire other Indigenous hockey players to explore and own their roots too.
“I think we can preserve Indigenous culture [in hockey] by talking about it and making it known that (1) yes, there are Indigenous hockey players, and (2) yes, some of us even play at the OHL and NHL level,” said Buchinger. “I think it’s important for there to be Indigenous role models because it’s tough on certain reserves with poverty and stuff like that.”
Buchinger continued, “So, I think with more visibility of Indigenous players at the elite and pro level, it’ll teach and inspire [Indigenous] kids who love the game of hockey to celebrate their culture and flourish. Which will allow the presence of native hockey players to grow.”
On Nov. 24. 2020, the world suffered a loss after Fred Saskamoose, one of the first Indigenous players in the NHL, passed away at the age of 86.
Saskamoose played 11 games for the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1953-54 NHL season before retiring and dedicating himself to encouraging Indigenous youth through sports involvement.
Fred grew up on Sandy Lake reserve (now Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation) before attending St. Michael’s Indian Residential School in Duck Lake, Saskatchewan. He was the second oldest of 11 children, five of whom survived to adulthood. Fred’s grandfather, Alexander, taught him how to skate by tying bob skates (double runner ice skates) over his moccasins. Meanwhile for a hockey stick, his grandfather chopped a tree branch down and carved it with an axe. Growing up, Saskamoose skated on a frozen swamp while his grandfather fished nearby.
Earning the title of Elder of Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, Saskamoose’s presence both in the Indigenous and hockey community cannot go without mention. From 1961 onward, Saskamoose used his fame to promote opportunities for youth in sports, including hockey, long-distance running, track and field, soccer and basketball. The following year, he was a founding member of the Northern Indian Hockey league.
Saskamoose also was a founding member of many intatives including the Saskatchewan Indian Summer and Winter Games, Saskatoon’s All Nations Hockey School and Fred Saskamoose All Star Hockey Week—a multi-racial hockey camp. Prior to his departure, he served on the NHL Ethnic Diversity Task Force and was a board member for the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.
Reflecting on Saskamoose’s journey to the NHL and the recent incidents of racism against Edmonton Oilers Ethan Bear, Buchinger’s interested in being an advocate and voice for the Indigenous community in hockey.
“I’d love to see more Indigenous players be role models in the hockey community so we can pave a path for more [Indigenous] players,” said Buchinger. “I want to bring awareness to the fact that there are Indigenous players at the elite level and not let our culture get lost. I think that it’s also important for the OHL and other sport leagues to step up and show support their Indigenous players too.”
Indigenous Resources:
- Wikwemikong History
- Hope for Wellness HelpLine (24-hour hotline that offers immediate help to all Indigenous peoples across Canada).
- Ojibwe People’s Dictionary
Article Sources:
Loyie, Larry & Constance Brissenden. “Fred Sasakamoose”. The Canadian Encyclopedia, 24 May 2021, Historica Canada. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fred-sasakamoose.
Robinson, Amanda. “Turtle Island”. The Canadian Encyclopedia, 06 November 2018, Historica Canada. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/turtle-island.