Call Me IndianCall Me Indian

Fred Sasakamoose suffered abuse in a residential school for a decade before becoming one of 125 players in the most elite hockey league in the world-- and has been heralded as the first Canadian Indigenous player with Treaty status in the NHL. He made his debut with the 1954 Chicago Black Hawks and taught Foster Hewitt how to correctly pronounce his name. Sasakamoose played against such legends as Gordie Howe, Jean Beliveau, and Maurice Richard, returning home after twelve games. Sasakamoose's choice to leave the NHL was never as clear-cut as reporters have suggested. For one, understanding his decision to return home means grappling with the dislocation of generations of Indigenous Canadians who spent childhood as "property" of the government. And his story was far from over. Sasakamoose continued to play for another decade in leagues around Western Canada. He became a band councilor, served as Chief, and formed athletic programs for kids. He paved a way for youth to find solace and meaning in sports for generations to come. This isn't just a hockey story-- Sasakamoose's groundbreaking memoir intersects Canadian history and Indigenous politics, and follows his journey to reclaim pride in an identity that had previously been used against him.