Saul Indian Horse is an Ojibway child who grew up in a land which offered little contact with anyone belonging to a different kind of society until he was forced to attend a residential school in which children were being stripped away of their culture with the scope of assimilating them into a more “civilized” community. Saul’s childhood in the school, greatly pervaded by psychological abuse and emotional oppression, was positively upset once one of the priests, Father Leboutillier, introduced him to the world of hockey, which soon become his sole means of inclusion and identification, mental well-being and acknowledged self-worth in his life. It is though universally acknowledged how, for every medal, there are always two inevitably opposite …show more content…
I became a brother”(86) is a clear confession of found identity which accompanies him throughout the book. Saul not only desires to find himself, but also tries to preserve his culture and stick to his true roots by calling himself an “Ojibway”. His remarkable hockey abilities allowed him to receive better opportunities which consequently led him into achieving a better lifestyle. We can say, at this point, that hockey involuntarily improved Saul’s independence and connection with the outside society as well as with members of his own culture, but despite the obvious benefit of freedom, his mental well being was continuously hindered by other hockey players since the beginning of his …show more content…
He experienced joy, pain, satisfaction and disappointment through it, but ultimately, he let social pressure overcome his spirit and change who he was meant to become. Hockey allowed him to physically and mentally mature as a person, but it was the sport itself, at the end, that led to his destruction. His journey as a player is a clear representation of the racism that is still unconditionally present in our community and that has to be overcome in order obtain social equity in sports and other recreational
Wayne Gretzky played a huge role in hockey history. He was a role model for many people who watched the NHL and played hockey across America as well as in Canada. His early years and his determination lead him to where he is today. All of his hard work throughout his life paid off in his great success over his career. Gretzky was the greatest hockey player ever to play in the NHL, his integrity and persistence set the bar for many players today and also influenced the way the game was played. His career started when he was very young, he won many awards and broke several records which ended with him changing the way many viewed the game all together.
Over the past two centuries, First Nations people have been oppressed by the Canadian society and continue to live under racism. The struggles, injustices, prejudice, and discrimination has played a significant role in the construction and impact of how they are treated and viewed in the modern society. Saul Indian Horse from Richard Wagamese's "Indian Horse" and Chanie Wenjack from Gord Downie's "The Stranger" are the perfect examples of how the belief that First Nations were inferior to the Europeans impacted the Aboriginal generations. However, both of the characters can be compared and contrasted by the following ways. As they both go through the breakdown of family bonds and the traumatic sufferings of residential schools, but they differ
Throughout the book, Saul had a very close relationship with Father Laboutiller, he was the one who introduced Saul and the “Indian boys” to the game of hockey. In my opinion Chapter 15 was one of the most pivotal chapters in the book, it was the time Father Laboutiller and Saul first spoke with each other. Saul was sitting on the steps when Father L approached him and asked if he ever played hockey; Saul reluctantly replied saying no and that he doesn’t like games. In the book Saul says that Father Laboutiller “reached out and rubbed [his] hair […] 'we need to get you outside to watch. I guarantee you'll love it.' [he said]”(Wagamese, 57). This is a very intimate moment in the story and it not only was the start of something amazing; but, it showed a true connection and a 'meaningful' relationship. Their
Saul Indian Horse was removed from his family environment and taken to a Residential School where anything relating to his culture was forbidden. Saul had no family, and no belongings from his home. The toll that this experience has on a child is very harsh, and is difficult to recover from. “In what seened like an instant, the world I had known was replaced with an ominous black cloud”(Wagamese 47). This quotation shows how quickly the environment he was put in became unwelcoming. Indian Horse went from a welcoming and loving family environment to one where he was not allowed to be himself and was forced to comply with the rules the church has set. The sense of family is explored at the residential school because the children there did not have any. There were siblings that may have gone together but when the Nuns shaved their heads and removed their cultural clothing everyone became unrecognizable. There was a sense of understanding that all the children had though, each one of the kids
The most memorable moment in hockey history came thirty-four years ago with the 1980 Miracle on Ice. The Americans defeating the dominant Soviet team at the Olympics was not only an important triumph for USA Hockey, but for the entire nation. Contrary to popular belief, the underdog win was not only the result of a miracle; it was also the result of a hard-working team led by Coach Herb Brooks. With increasingly negative views on the position of the United States in the Cold War, the Miracle on Ice and the gold medal win lifted the spirits of the nation and brought hockey into the American spotlight.
The presence of activity and sport is found within cultures and societies all over the world, and throughout history. Activity in the form of sport can often be the purest form of expression for a society or individual. The sporting world is often thought to be a microcosm of the actual world with the problems and issues of society still being ever present in the sporting community. Since sport can be used as an expression of self, it is no wonder that sport is often a reflection of the society that it occupies. One such society that was deeply impacted by the role of sport is that of Native American boarding school students in the 1800’s and 1900’s. These students lived tough lives but just like how it had helped other cultural societies, sport was able to provide these students with basic needs of autonomy and pride.
Depression has a major effect on a person life. The accumulation of hidden emotion could cause difficulty in life. The consequences could be irrational thinking, suffering in ceased emotion or lead to a total disaster. In “Horses of the night” by Margaret Laurence and “ Paul’s case” by Willa Cather, both authors introduce the concept of depression. Although both selections offer interesting differences, it is the similarities that are significant.
Jackie Robinson’s ability to successfully integrate his sport set the stage for many others to advocate for an end to segregation in their respective environments. His period of trials and triumphs were significant to changing American perception of the Civil Rights revolution. By becoming the first African-American baseball player to play in the major leagues, he brought down an old misconception that black athletes were inferior to white athletes. Successively, his example would inspire those advocating for their civil rights, he lived out a message of nonviolence similar to the one Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived out. Despite the constant prejudice he faced in his sport, he was able to keep himself composed and never retaliate.
Morrow, D., Keyes, M., Simpson,W., Cosentino, F., & Lappage, R. (1989). A Concise History of Sport In Canada. Toronto, ON: Oxford University Press.
Both Saul Indian Horse and Winston Smith use writing as a means of survival from repression. In Indian Horse, Saul uses writing as a means of seeing what made him turn away from the pain of his rape and cease repressing its happening; for him survive and live on with his life. Saul writes memoirs to find the hidden answers of why he turned to violence and alcoholism and using them to break free of the cycle. From pages two to three Saul says “They say I can’t understand where I’m going if I don’t understand where I’ve been. The answers are within me, according to them. By telling our stories, hardcore drunks like me can set ourselves free from the bottle and the life that took us there …. So Moses gave me permission to write things down. So
Throughout the novel, racism is a major issue surrounding the indigenous people. When Saul starts playing hockey, he notices that he is very good at it. He ends up getting one good hockey team which means he can leave the residential school. One on of his first days playing with the team the other players say “ the Indian school brought their mascot. Is he a squirt? Nah. He's a dribbler.” (74-75) This shows the disrespect that everyone shows towards indigenous people because they are conditioned by society to believe that indigenous people are less human than them. Another example of racism is when Saul is playing hockey, the comments that the fans yell during the tournament such as “ Indian whores, horse piss, stolen pony. Elbows and knees constantly flying at me. I couldn't play a shift that didn't include some kind of cheap shot, threat or curse.” (164) This shows how aggressive the fans were towards Saul and other indigenous people. When he played in tournaments there were other racist comments such as “white ice, white men” when First Nations players were playing they were judged on their race not on how they play. This makes Saul start to not enjoy the game anymore, he starts abusing alcohol because he feels like he is nothing now, he doesn't have any family and doesn't enjoy hockey, he feels worthless which now results in his turning to drugs and alcohol. There were discussions in class about the myths and truths about indigenous people like how all indigenous people abuse alcohol and how all indigenous people are minority and don't deserve the same respect as everyone else. Saul experiences this frequently when he is playing on a team where he's the only indigenous
Maurice Richard was the hero of the French Canadian people and his dedication to his game was no different from the dedication to his family and his work and his love for the French Canadian people. He went on to win many awards in hockey and in his personal life that honored him as the role model for all French Canadian.
Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play Major League Baseball. This was not an easy task for him to do. People judged him and didn’t like him by the color of his skin. Jackie Robinson said “The hate mail piled up” (Robinson). That shows that no one cared to give him a chance to play in the Major League. The innocence of young kids had a great inspiration on Jackie Robinson because they didn’t care about his color they just wanted him to play good. Jackie Robinson was “proud to be a part of a significant breakthrough” (Robinson) in breaking the color barrier. Even though Jackie Robinson has been through
“Why is it that almost 25 years later, the loss of Lane Frost is still so strong? I think it’s because Lane Frost was what I wanted to be. He was what every one of us wanted to be. Lane dedicated his life to excellence. Complaining was not a part of his life. He said if he won a world championship he was going to do something special with it, and he did. He was an uncommonly kind and gentle man. He was a champion in the arena, and a champion in life” (Michael 1).
Terrence and Jordin Tootoo grew up in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, in Canada’s arctic region. They were like other Inuit children in Rankin Inlet in many respects: They were brought up to respect the customs of their people and they enjoyed the resources the land around them provided- they learned to hunt and fish for food like the others. However, the brothers were also different from their peers in one main respect- they were blessed with a love for the game of hockey, and also with extraordinary amounts of talent which would enable them to leave their native community to pursue the dream of professional hockey. While the brothers were growing up they were inseparable; however, after leaving Rankin Inlet to pursue the professional game their respective careers took strikingly different paths. Jordin’s journey took him to the top- he was drafted into the National Hockey League and signed a lucrative contract with the Nashville Predators. However, Terrence’s road to the professional ranks was filled with hardship and tragedy, ultimately resulting in his suicide in August of 2002. The contrasting paths taken by the brothers is an illustration of how professional sporting careers can have varying impacts on the lives of Native American and Canadian athletes and their communities. In the following few paragraphs I will outline the history of Native Americans and Canadians in sports. I will examine how successful Native athletes are able to help their communities, both financially and by serving as role models for younger Natives. Also, I will argue that their still exist barriers and challenges to Native athletes that do not confront other athletes. For example, Native athletes are often placed under increased scrutiny because of their positions as role models. I will conclude by commenting on how Native athletes fit into pro sports today, and speculate on what can be done to increase the amount of success enjoyed by Natives.