Obituaries

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Frederick Sasakamoose, CM (December 25, 1933 – November 24, 2020) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was one of the first Canadian Indigenous players in the National Hockey League,[2][3] and the first First Nations player with treaty status.[4] He played 11 games with the Chicago Black Hawks during the 1953–54 season; the rest of his career, which lasted from 1953 to 1960, was spent in various minor leagues. After his playing career, Sasakamoose became involved in Indigenous affairs, and served as chief of the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation for a period. He was later recognized for his work, including being named a member of the Order of Canada.

Sasakamoose is of Cree descent.[5] He was born in Debden, Saskatchewan and grew up on the Ahtahkakoop Indian Reserve in Saskatchewan and learned to play ice hockey at an Indian residential school in Duck Lake, Saskatchewan. He was one of 11 children, where only 5 survived throughout childhood due to smallpox.[6][7]

In 1944 Sasakamoose joined the Duck Lake ice hockey team.[8] Sasakamoose's skills were first recognized by a priest in Montreal who became the sports director at the Indian residential school Sasakamoose was attending. The priest pushed Sasakamoose to improve himself, and he went on to develop an extraordinary left-handed shot as a result.[5] Sasakamoose had a troubled time at the school: when he was nine he was raped by fellow students, and detailed other punishments by the school officials.[9] While Sasakamoose became one of the star players on the school's team, he left Duck Lake at the age of 15 and so feared returning to the school that he didn't believe at first when a priest had a hockey scout visit his home.[10]

Ultimately Sasakamoose did meet the scout, and at the age of 16 joined the junior Moose Jaw Canucks, who played in the Western Canada Junior Hockey League.[8] After scoring 31 goals during the 1953–54 season he was named the league's most valuable player.[5] During the season he made his NHL debut with the Chicago Black Hawks, playing November 20, 1953 against the Boston Bruins. Sasakamoose played two games with Chicago at the time before being sent back to junior, though he was called up again a few months later after Moose Jaw's season ended in February 1954.[11] Sasakamoose played 11 games for the Black Hawks that season, recording no points. The rest of his career was spent in various minor leagues.[11]

After retiring from ice hockey, Sasakamoose became a band councilor of the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, serving for 35 years, and spent one term (6 years) as Chief.[12] He was also extensively involved in the development of sports programs for Indigenous children.[11] Starting in 1961, he used his fame to promote opportunities for youth in sports which included ice hockey, long-distance running, track and field, soccer, and basketball.[5] In 2002, he was honoured by the Blackhawks at a home game.[11] He was inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame in the builders category in 2007.[13][14] He was also inducted into the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame, Meadow Lake Wall of Fame, FSIN Circle of Honour and the Canadian Native Hockey Hall of Fame.[15] He was acknowledged for achievements and contributions by both the Assembly of First Nations and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN).[5] He was also a founding member of the Northern Indian Hockey League. He became a member of the Order of Canada in 2018.[16]

Sasakamoose was admitted to hospital in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, where he was diagnosed with COVID-19 on November 20, 2020 and passed away four days later due to complications from the virus during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saskatchewan.[17][18]

He married Loretta Isbister in 1955, and had nine children.[12] At the time of his death Sasakamoose's memoir, Call Me Indian, was being finished, and had a release date for April 6, 2021.[8]