Mi'kmaq chiefs, council to square off against N.S. politicians on the ice

Mi'kmaq chiefs and council members will face off this weekend against Nova Scotia MLAs and MPs as part of a hockey challenge in honour of Heritage Day.

This year's holiday honours Mi'kmaq heritage, including the community's contribution to the game of hockey.

Playing hockey in 1844

Jaime Battiste, the province's treaty education lead, said there's no better way to get people outside duringwhat's been a bone-chilling few weeks than a classic game of hockey.

"The Mi'kmaq have a substantial claim to being one of the original, or first, people to play the game of hockey in Canada," Battiste said Thursday,adding that the Mi'kmaq were playing a stick game on ice as early as 1844.

"Some of the stories that we've heard from oral traditions are that soldiers would have seen them playing and copied the game."

Glooscap legend

Jeff Ward, general manager of the Membertou Heritage Park, said there is aMi'kmaq legend that talks about hockey. Glooscap travelled north in pursuit of the winter god who had kidnapped his grandmother and brother.

As the story goes, when the winter god challenged him to a game on the ice, Glooscap said, "Not only am I going to win, to bring my grandmother and brother back, but I'm also going to take this game and give it to the Mi'kmaq people."

Glooscap may also have taken the hockey stick.

"Back in the day, a lot of our [hockey] sticks were sent to Montreal, they were sent all over the place, and we were the masters at making hockey sticks," said Ward.

Hand-carved sticks

Albert J. Marshall ofEskasonihas been commissioned to carve three traditional wooden sticks for the event, which kicks off Saturday.

The theme of the two-day Mi'kmaqHeritage Hockey Classic is "Bury the Hatchet" in honour of a 1761 treatyceremony that marked the start of a peaceful relationship between the Mi'kmaq and the British.

"Bury the hatchet is a key term in the Mi'kmaq treaties with the Crown," said Battiste."And that's why we thought that was appropriate for this event."

Two games are planned: one in Membertou on Saturdayand another in Millbrook on Monday.

Among the players lacing up will be Cape Breton-Canso MP Rodger Cuzner, Glace Bay MLA Geoff MacLellan and Eskasoni Chief Leroy Denny.