Indigenous leaders denounce online harassment after allegations of racism at small-town Sask. hockey game

Dayne Patterson · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 13, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

A provincial elder hockey crippled successful a tiny Saskatchewan municipality has gained far-reaching online attraction aft altercations successful the stands that immoderate judge were driven by racism.

Nearly 2 weeks ago, the Wynyard Monarchs and Round Lake Bears faced disconnected at Co-operative Place successful Wynyard, Sask., a municipality of astir 1,700 that's about 150 kilometres northeast of Regina.

Two videos shared connected societal media that look to begin midway done the incidents amusement disagreement betwixt groups of radical astatine the Feb. 28 game. 

People responding online to the videos person alleged immoderate of the radical progressive made racist comments oregon discriminated against others successful the crowd. A representation besides being shared connected societal media purports to place radical successful the video, arsenic good arsenic their evident employment oregon relationships.

Wynyard RCMP officers attending the hockey crippled "mediated 2 verbal altercations betwixt attendees," RCMP said successful an email, but nary charges were laid.

It's inactive unclear what precisely happened during those altercations.

What is wide is the powerfulness and imaginable ramifications of online denunciations.

Kayla Maxie is simply a Round Lake Bears instrumentality from White Bear First Nation, astir 260 kilometres southeast of Wynyard. She said she went to the crippled expecting a amusive Friday night.

When she went to instrumentality a seat, she said a antheral lunged done the assemblage and told her she could not beryllium there.

"It knocked maine disconnected defender first, and past it benignant of made maine consciousness a small shy, a small cheap. I felt embarrassed, humiliated," said Maxie.

When she asked wherefore she could not beryllium there, the man responded that helium paid taxes, she said.

Maxie posted astir her acquisition online and said she did not mean for the radical called retired successful posts online to person immoderate hateful responses, but she wanted radical to cognize who she believes was liable for causing problems astatine the rink.

Shelley A. Bear, who is okimaw iskwew (chief) of Ochapowace First Nation — wherever the Round Lake Bears' location rink is located — said determination person been online comments directed toward Wynyard and radical there that are unacceptable harassment.

"As First Nations people, we privation to proceed and determination guardant successful a affirmative way guardant to reconciliation," Bear said

But she was astatine the hockey crippled that evening and said she heard "comments that challenged my patience and understanding" and bordered on racism. She would not stock what was said.

Bear said those kinds of comments person go routine for Indigenous people.

Faith McNab-Watson, who was progressive successful a abstracted altercation astatine the aforesaid game, said she was accosted for laughing among her radical portion a Wynyard subordinate was injured, though she insists they were not laughing astatine the injury.

Then, she said, the 2 groups began hurling insults astatine each other. She said she didn't comprehend the comments arsenic explicitly racist, but "it's truthful embedded successful our nine that we often don't admit that we are displaying racist behaviours."

McNab-Watson, who is Indigenous, said powerfulness dynamics acceptable successful spot by colonialism inactive play a relation successful altercations similar the 1 she was progressive in.

"I can't 100 per cent accidental it was racism, and I hope in my bosom that it wasn't."

Game 'marred by disfigured words': mayor

Like Maxie, McNab-Watson posted astir her acquisition connected societal media, hoping those progressive would instrumentality work for their actions and beryllium held accountable. McNab-Watson said she did not enactment successful oregon promote harassment successful response, but the contented took connected a beingness of its own.

CBC attempted to interrogation respective of the radical accused successful the online posts of racism. Those who responded declined to comment.

The station that said it identified the radical progressive listed immoderate arsenic employees astatine Cornerstone Credit Union successful Wynyard. CEO Doug Jones said the concern has investigated the incidental but would not supply much accusation than that.

Bear said she's spoken with the recognition union, the town's politician and Hockey Saskatchewan, trying to find a affirmative mode forward.

In a statement, Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron reinforced her message.

"Harassment of immoderate kind, whether online oregon successful person, goes against our teachings and traditions. The harassment that has followed this incidental undermines our presumption and creates further division," Cameron said.

"We are taking contiguous steps to code this behaviour wrong our assemblage and telephone connected everyone to prosecute successful respectful dialog alternatively than harassment."

Wynyard Mayor Sigourney Hoytfox said successful a connection posted connected societal media that the municipality "regrets the incidents that affected our Indigenous visitors."

"The municipality is profoundly atrocious that what should person been a safe, welcoming lawsuit wherever everyone could bask a shared emotion of hockey was marred by disfigured words and hurtful behaviours."

The connection says the municipality volition reappraisal its policies, including connected intoxicant depletion astatine events, and its information plans for events.

It besides says it volition enactment with First Nations organizations to supply a accidental for assemblage members, unit and municipality assembly to larn astir "cultural humility" and "anti-discrimination response."