Organized sport bringing Indigenous students back to school in northern Alberta

When Danielle Cardinal started at the reserve school at Peerless Lake First Nation, she rarely stayed late.

Now, as shefinishesGrade 12, the 19-year-old regularly finds herself inthe gymnasium after class.

Cardinal plays for the school's senior girls volleyball team, which became part of a formal league this year under a joint partnership of the Kitaskinaw Tribal Council and the NorthlandSchool Division (KTC-NSD).

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"Everyone plays after school," she explained. "There's opportunities now to go other places."

Peerless Lake is an isolated community in central northern Alberta. The hamlets ofRed Earth Creek and Loon River First Nation areabout an hour away. Whitefish Lake First Nationis two hours away and the hamletofGrouardis two and a half.

Having a sports league in which the students can competemakesa difference when it comes to engagement in school, said phys-edteacher, ChelseaCattroll.

"It's been a great attendance initiative," she said. "It's brought a lot of kids, say, whoweren't attending, back into the school."

KTC-NSDsportslaunched in September 2016. It bringstogether10 rural schools, mostly comprised of First Nation andMtisstudents,for league games intournament-style competition.

Around 250 students compete incross-country running, dodge ball, floor hockey, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes and archery.

Sparking school spirit

Deen Flett, hired to co-ordinate the program, said a lack of school spirit which appeared at the outset to be one of the biggest hurdles, has turned into its biggest strength.

"The first thing I thought was thatthese schools need a logo. They need a logo. When our Aboriginal youth arelost, they fall through the cracks. They need to belong somewhere," Flettsaid.

He saidthe studentsnow have a greater understanding and appreciation of their community.

"The communities are absolutely just stoked because they're so proud of who they are and where they come from," Flett said.

"They're starting to order theiruniforms the whole school is ordering apparel."

Flett runs the events as if the students are competing at the highest level andsaid enthusiasm is growing.

Play has beenformalized with referees and scorecards. He kicks things off with upbeatmusic and takes on the role of an announcer throughout the tournaments.

Flett, from the Gift Lake Mtis Settlement,said he's so blown away by the natural ability and skills of some of the students and that it's hard not to share their excitement.

"Some of the talent I've seen in these kids wow, it's so amazing. Some of these kids have a chance to go to university, college, with their sports," he said. "My job is to inspire them and get them there to the next level."

'It gives us another outlet'

Atikameg School principal Laura Okemawsaid the emphasis on organized sports appears to be generating excitement throughout the community and in neighbouring communities.

When the school gym was open two weekends ago, 14 people not just students spent most of Saturday in there scrimmaging. On Sunday, twice as many people showed up.

"One of the students said: 'This is very good that the gym is open. It give us another outlet to be involved in rather than walking around and getting in trouble,' " Okemaw said.

Another conversation witha student and her mother reinforced the need for theAtikamegSchool to keep the gym open after hours, Okemawsaid.

"She was wanting to be in the gym after school because she says that's the only thing she's got going for her right now," Okemawsaid.

She's been getting texts to her phone asking for open gym nights and now, she is keeping the gym open until 10 p.m.

Okemaw, from Sucker Creek First Nation,knows first-hand the role sports can play in students' lives. Growing up, she played volleyball and basketball.

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"I think it gave me the push to be able to go out there and go on with my career and it gave me the strength in being able to stand up against adversity and I think it's important for the students here as well," she said.

roberta.bell@cbc.ca

@roberta__bell