As the puck drops, the Standing Buffalo Fighting Sioux score two quick goals to jump ahead of the Cote Alliance in the 35+ Legends final of the Southern Showdown Treaty Championships. On both sides of the Balcarres Arena, fans from Standing Buffalo, Cote, Cowessess, Keeseekose and Carry the Kettle, among other communities, sit together. They roar, and it’s uncertain who is cheering for who.
Nineteen years ago, when First Nations community hockey was dwindling, Jeff Cappo and his family began what would become a journey to create this tournament, an honouring of his father’s vision. In 1995, they started the Winter Warm, a recreation hockey tournament that brought First Nations people together to play with, and against, members of other reserves in Saskatchewan. It was first held in Edenwold, and later in Cupar, Indian Head, and Dysart – until 2007.
“My father used to play hockey until he was 65. He always wanted to see reserves play against another,” recalled Jeff Cappo of his late father Robert.
“Then, when my late father passed on, we changed the name to Robert Cappo Memorial Cup [in 2008],” said Cappo. “The tournament was a huge success that we decided to honour him by hosting a play for your own reserve hockey tournament.”
The tournament, which was held in Lebret, lasted until 2012, after which the Southern Showdown Treaty Championships was born in Balcarres.
As its name suggests, the Southern Showdown is a battle between teams representing their First Nations communities to be named the best in Treaty 4 territory. Since it began in 2013, with suggestions from elders, it has evolved to include two divisions: All-Reserve, for men 16 and up, and 35+ Legends.
This year, it took place from February 27-March 1 and featured 10 teams in the All-Reserve, and four in the 35+ Legends divisions, from 10 of the 27 First Nations in Treaty 4.
Now approaching its fourth year, the tournament is the only one of its kind in Saskatchewan.
“Most teams nowadays are pick-ups and made up of high-calibre players, but this tournament brings our community together and gives the people the opportunity a chance to play, which is all they want to do,” said Bert George, 33, who helped the Ochapowace Thunder place first in the All-Reserve division in 2013, and third this year.
“There’s always some good camaraderie that we have against the other nations. It’s quite competitive as well,” said George, who has been playing hockey since he was six, and in the tournament since it started. “On the ice were not friends, but come off the ice, we can shake hands, we can have beers together and do all that good stuff.”
Facing off against other First Nations communities comes at the cost of a $500-entry fee per team, while fans are charged $10 per day – all of which is pooled to pay for certified referees, the use of the Balcarres Arena, and championship trophies and jackets for the winning teams, among other prizes for players.
The Southern Showdown isn’t just for First Nations communities to compete against each other, either, says Leon McNab, 63, manager of the George Gordon First Nation Golden Hawks.
“It’s a gathering place to meet friends . . . It’s something that a lot of the communities look forward to,” said McNab. “Sporting events are big in First Nations communities. We gather for ball tournaments, hockey tournaments – it’s something that pulls our First Nations people together.”
Aside from competition, and meeting friends – new and old – humour is also a big part a part of the tournament.
“We have a lot fun when we come here . . . Even the tribal affiliations, too, like between the Saulteaux and the Cree; there’s a lot of ribbing about our nationality, our tribe,” said Norrine Cote who came to the tournament with her family to watch her son and other relatives play for the Cote First Nation Alliance. “I’m Saulteaux, and some of my friends are Cree that we play against . . . We still say Saulteaux are better anyway.”
Cote says the tournament rejuvenated a sense of pride in First Nations communities. “We were always so afraid to go out there, but now our kids, they’re all over the place.”
Not a lot people come to Yorkton or wherever to the Junior A games to watch these young guys and this is where they can come watch them.”
One of these players is Kailum Gervais, the 19-year-old captain of the Yorkton Terriers in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Gervais, who had finished his season with the Terriers the first day of the tournament, headed to Balcarres the next day to play for his home community, Keeseekoose First Nation.
“All these guys that are pretty older than me, they helped me grow up, and watched my hockey games, and just to play with them again, it’s fun. It’s just really fun playing your reserve again,” he said.
“In previous years, we went all the way, and the year before, we got knocked out, and by the time we were done my season in Yorkton, all the tournaments around here were over. This year, I’ll probably go to a couple more reserve tournaments, actually.”
It’s just where you come from. You gotta stay humble. Me, going to Yorkton, and some of the other guys moved on, and [are] doing their own thing somewhere else, and they just come back and play with the reserve where they’re from . . . You get to see your family again, your friends, people you know, and it’s always just good to get back to where you’re from and play from.”
In this year’s tournaments, Gervais played against some of his friends from Cote First Nation in the All-Reserve semi-final – what is known as “the borderline battle.”
“It meant a lot that game, too. It’s always been a rivalry between us, even with minor hockey,” he said.
Gervais and the Keeseekoose Rangers ended up losing to the Cote Alliance, and with that no bragging rights until the two teams face off next year. The Alliance went on to win the tournament for the second year in a row, beating the Carry the Kettle Islanders 5-3.
In the 35+ Legends division, the Standing Buffalo Fighting Sioux also repeated their title, beating the Alliance 8-2.
The Southern Showdown, which one player from Blood First Nation in Alberta, and another from Opaskwayak First Nation in Manitoba competed in this year, has also included players from old timer divisions in the U.S. and former college players there.
This year, the tournament ranged in age from 16 to men in their 50s.
Cappo says it will continue to grow with the support from Saskatchewan’s First Nations community, and its sponsors: Treaty 4 News, Painted Hand Community Development Corporation and K+S Potash Canada.
Its two-player import allowance and seven goal mercy rule will remain, he says, as will its two-period play time, with one 20 minutes in length, and the other 25 minutes, the norm for First Nations hockey tournaments.
Cappo says the tournament could also include peewee, atom and novice divisions, as well as welcome female players like the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Hockey Championships, which has taken place in Saskatoon for nearly six years.
