Fred Sasakamoose: The First Aboriginal NHL Player

About a year ago, I had the privilege of listening to Fred Sasakamoose, the first Aboriginal NHL player. Fred came to my work, Cosmopolitan industries (where individuals with disabilities come to work), to talk to the participants. Truthfully, before Fred came to talk to us, I had this perceived notion about what aboriginal individuals were like from my family, friends and the media. I thought this guy was going to tell some boring story on how everyone did not believe him and blah blah blah. I also had the assumption that he was not going to have much of a story to tell because he probably did not get to play much. However, something changed for me. The participants were extremely excited to be able to meet a NHL player. It did not matter

that this guy was aboriginal descent to the participants. So why does it have to matter to everyone else? After he explained the challenges and barriers it took for him to be a hockey player because of our society’s rejection I felt ashamed. Why did I let my assumptions get the best of me? I am glad I got to experience this talk because it was life changing for me on my journey to be a social worker. The stories Fred told were such an eye opener that I shed a tear in the end. However, this tear proved to me that I do care about aboriginal individuals and their culture.
The week prior to Fred coming, my boss talked about their being a tobacco offering.

At the time, I did not think anything of it. However, now that I am reading through the material on tobacco offering, I could not be happier that I was a part of the offering. That day, Fred had brought in an Elder to help him with the tobacco offering. I did not realize that a helper who has been trained by Elders, which Fred was, is usually the individual who performs the protocol. I always thought the Elder completed the offering themselves. Fred explained how most First Nations’ Elders desire to be approached by a helper who has an understanding of the protocol and can speak on behalf of the individual. “The Nakawe people recommended that when a person is seeking guidance or advice from an Elder, they should always give the Elder tobacco” (p.13). We were completely lost; we had no idea on what type of tobacco we should be giving as a gift. We were relieved that at the end of the presentation Fred could not thank us enough for the tobacco we gave him. However, when I was reading my material, I came across that some Elders do not want monetary gifts. That could have been awkward for us if he did not expect the tobacco because we would not of understand

why.
I am happy I got to witness a part of the Aboriginal protocols. However, I believe the presentation would have went more smoothly if we would have just asked prior to the presentation what the right procedure is and what kind of tobacco do we offer. As a non- indigenous social worker, I can work towards reconciliation through learning the First Nations culture. I can also be expanding my knowledge of their culture, traditions and ways of being. In order to expand my knowledge I can ask my First Nations clients whether it is an Elder or a community member first-hand about their culture. This way I can understand it through my own perspective. Therefore, participating in mutual discussion acknowledges the joining of knowledge where the social worker is not acquired to be the professional but rather a cohort.