Young Alberta football rivals share traditional Cree smudge before kickoff
Prior to smashing and bashing each other in an all-female battle in Spruce Grove Thursday, linebacker Alicia Gladue led both teams in something rarely seen on a football field.
Before kickoff - Gladue, a young Cree and Dene woman from Northern Alberta - gathered all players and coaches in a circle, where she lit a traditional Indigenous smudge for both teams to share.
“I just bless my body. (With the smoke) I go over my head so I can think good things, go to my ears so I can hear good things, go to my mouth so I can say good things,” Gladue explained.
Gladue is a captain with the Fort McKay Northern Spirits, based in the First Nation community about an hour north of Fort McMurray.
Her team travelled to the Fuhr Sports Park west of Edmonton, for a game with the West Edmonton Raiders Thursday night.
“It’s gets my anger out. It’s good for my mental and physical health,” Gladue said of football.
And a smudge, she said, puts her in the right mind to compete.
“It could be a blessing, or it could be to let go of the negativity. I think it’s good to calm yourself with good vibes,” she explained.
'EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY PROUD'
The idea of sharing the smudge came after Raiders coach Ryan Schulha asked his opponents about a ceremony he saw at a game a few weeks earlier.
“They were extremely, extremely proud to extend an invitation to allow us to come and learn a little bit and join the smudge circle. I’m very excited to learn more about their culture and have football be that catalyst,” Schulha said.
A coach of both girls and boys teams, Schulha believes football leaders should always be striving to be more inclusive. He called Thursday’s ceremony an “opportunity” for his players to learn and grow respect for Indigenous people.
“Do we have a long way to go? Yeah. We know that, but every little bit and every step forward helps.”
Northern Spirits coach Dylan Elias lets his players decide when and how to smudge, and was proud they chose to share with their opponents on Thursday.
“I think there’s been a lot of negativity in the news in the last couple of months especially around residential schools and missing and murdered Indigenous women,” Elias, who is Metis, said.
“So I think for the other team to reach out and want to be part of the ceremony, is really important for bringing people together, and if this thing is going to work we gotta come together as humans, and that’s what the sport of football does.”
Racism on the field is something Elias said his team has “felt” before but Thursday’s ceremony was a an important step.
The Northern Spirits are a new team, and with the closest field an hour away, it’s not an easy commitment. Elias said his girls are growing in pride, both in their play and in sharing their culture.
“After a football camp we had in 2019, there was a big push from the kids in the community. They wanted their own team.”
Feeling different on a football field is not new to Raiders running back Camryn Lauer. It’s a male-dominated sport, and inclusivity is still a work in progress, she said.
So Lauer was happy to take part in the smudge and learn more about her opponents.
“I will say it’s better just because we do get these opportunities, but there’s still more to work on. Being a female in the sport of football can be difficult sometimes, but it’s growing and it’s getting better,” Lauer said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.