When Marc-Antoine Dequoy asked the young people in red jerseys about choosing a team name, one child spontaneously suggested: “the Mohawks.” The kid’s reaction, which was unanimously approved by his teammates, couldn’t be more reflective of his pride in his roots.
For the first time in the Alouettes’ recent history, the Montreal soccer team came to Kanawahke on Wednesday night where it offered a clinic for young people.
“It is a step in the right direction in the spirit of reconciliation,” commented Harry Angus Rice, chairman of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, who was at the center of the activity with Alouettes President Mark Weightman. The Alouettes have made that first contact with the Mohawks of Kahnawake and them physically moving here is a bonus.”
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“I’m not a soccer player, but I’m a big sports fan, and having them here is a huge commitment for them,” the chief added, watching all those kids from the community running on the field at the Kahnawake Sports Complex next door Dequoy, Frédéric Chagnon, Austin Mack and Kaion Julien-Grant.
“It’s a great event,” Dequoy said. I’m not here to lecture or comment on what happened in the past, but it is important to be a figure of Quebec football for the entire population of Quebec.
“As athletes, I don’t know if we necessarily have the power to make big changes in society, but we do have the power to influence individuals, especially,” the 29-year-old Marauder added. . We are able to motivate young people. By sharing our passion or our journey, good can come.”
In orange and white
The Alouettes’ visit to Kanhawake was part of the Canadian Football League’s initiative, whose teams will wear orange and white warm-up jerseys for games scheduled on Saturday. This will be the case for the Montreal club and for Rouge et Noir during a clash scheduled in Ottawa.
The stated goal: “To bring attention to the tragedies of the residential school system and to show support to the survivors and their families.”
For Mark Weightman, he went one step further and mentioned the deep desire for inclusion and the fight against all forms of discrimination.
“We want to be more specific,” he promised as he spoke to Mr. Rice for many minutes during Wednesday’s activity.
Mark Weightman, president of Alouettes, and Harry Angus Rice, chairman of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, were pleased with the activity offered to the young people. Photo Benoit Rioux
“By taking the initiative to wear the orange jersey this week, we can learn more,” noted Mack, who had fun with the young people. I’m looking forward to getting to know and understanding the culture.”
Commanders or Redskins?
Connections, reconciliation and interest in others, quite simply. In a similar debate in the world of football, the Journal’s representative wanted to know what the people of Kahnawake thought about the eternal debate over the Redskins and the Commanders in Washington. Earlier this week, a lawsuit filed in North Dakota by the group The Native American Guardians Association fueled discussions. The name change was described as a disgrace to the long-standing tradition and heritage of the indigenous peoples.
Chief Harry Angus Rice politely chose not to comment on the matter. Various conversations with parents of participants in the campaign, all of whom preferred to remain anonymous, quickly showed that very few of them were really offended by the use of the word “Redskins” or by the name change “Commanders”.
“Honestly, there will be happy and unhappy people in any debate. For example, even within First Nations peoples or within a family, some will think in one direction and others will lean in the opposite direction, Dequoy noted. Personally, I am still sensitive to the fact that certain people are affected, but in life you are not obliged to have an opinion on everything.
One thing is for sure: The Reds were proud to call themselves the Mohawks on Wednesday night at the Kahnawake Sports Complex.