Richard Froese
South Peace News
Hosting a weekend of Indian relay races in High Prairie has been inspired by Sucker Creek First Nation to promote Indigenous culture, history and tourism.
Community leadership envisions the event as one part of the strategy, economic development director Shirley Calliou says.
“The Indian Relay Races was brought to light for Sucker Creek as a marketing strategy to draw in visitors for tourism development and economic growth,” Calliou says.
“Eventually, Sucker Creek will be hosting our own community Indian relay races that will offer greater opportunities and entrepreneurship for the nation as a whole.”
Chief Roderick Willier wants more traditional activities implemented on the nation that provide the younger people of Sucker Creek fulfilling things to do and learn such as historical significance to their tradition and culture, language, traditional powwows, equine therapy and holistic tradition in horse therapy, ranching, sportsmanship and skills training and more activities, she says.
The significance of the relay races for Sucker Creek goes back almost 70 years when Elders recall Sucker Creek had the fastest horses and outshone other nations around Lesser Slave Lake that would compete against them, Calliou says.
The late Bernard (Chucky) Badger recalls when he was younger, the old gathering place at the home of Headman Johnny Kakanoosit was a busy place.
“They always had community activities, harvesting and Treaty days and one highlighted event was horse racing,” Calliou says.
He stated that he and a few other Sucker Creekers always raced.
“We always won, then one day, someone snuck in and poisoned the horses,” Badger says.
Racing was a proud and memorable time for him.
Indian relay racing is an extreme sport that has been a skills sport for hunters and warriors becoming the best sportsmen in the region, Calliou says.
Horses have been a holistic part of spiritual healing and spiritual connection with the Native Americans, becoming significant to the Native American way of life since the Spaniards introduced horses 400 years ago.
Learning perfection in hunting, or any other skills were done with much practice and precise expertise.
Historically as nomads, the tribes – Sioux, Blackfoot, Dene, Algonquin, Cree, etc. – travelled for hunting ceremony and battle and was a form for many of the southern and northern nations when visiting among each other, they would host competitive sports.
Today, it is becoming one of the fastest growing extreme rodeo sports, exemplifying the agility of each team jumping on and off horses while in full speed bareback.
This type of extreme sport has the exhilarating excitement from the spectators wanting more and cheering on the best and donning of who is the best.