Call Me Indian: From the Trauma of Residential School to Becoming the NHL's First Treaty Indigenous Player

The late Sasakamoose (1933–2020) presents a searing reflection on his life. Though he was best known for his time with the Chicago Black Hawks, hockey is just one aspect of Sasakamoose's remarkable story. Born in Saskatchewan to a Cree family, he was introduced to hockey by his grandfather with a "frozen cow patty" for a puck. His life was irrevocably altered when he was sent to St. Michael's Residential School, where meager meals and horrific accommodations were coupled with relentless cruelty from sadistic priests and racist classmates, who also raped him. In spite of this harrowing experience, Sasakamoose made a name for himself in junior hockey circles and landed a contract with the Black Hawks in 1954, playing 12 games in the NHL. After a short stint in Chicago, he returned to the minor leagues in Canada to focus on his family, but his alcoholism was a constant struggle and worsened later when he lost his daughter to a car accident and his son to suicide. Even still, Sasakamoose never stopped trying to improve his community, working as a councillor for the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation. Before he died, Sasakamoose vowed "to convey the heartache" and "darkness" to "help others to see that they are not alone." This yields something more lasting and impactful than the usual sports memoir. (May)