Hockey has a racism problem. It also has a homophobic problem. Not to even mention its misogyny issues. Oh, it is also terribly elitist. There is a reason why hockey is mostly dominated by well-off white boys. Why is this? Look into the issues with hockey. You can start by googling the name Akim Aliu and go from there. Tie it all together with the experiences of Saul.
Dr. DiPaolo, how could we have predicted that you would find a way to tie hockey in with human rights?
What made me sad reading the book was that Saul was only able to escape the residential school because he had a skill that was appealing to write people. The hockey anecdotes were so compelling, and really wrap you up in the moment, so I think its easy to forget the dark underpinning of the sport. There is clearly the socioeconomic imbalance with the white teams, yet Saul's team is able to somewhat overcome this by having better skill. The racism is something that is just too big to usurp, however. Even after they demonstrate themselves to have equal abilities to the white hockey players, Saul and his team are still reduced to the colour of their skin. The white men at the restaurant who beat them up claim that no matter how good they are at hockey, they will never be anything more than their skin colour.
I did not know who Akim Aliu was, but to me, he seems like Canada's Colin Kaepernick, who was also shunned from sport for speaking out. Does hockey require complacency? Certainly it seems easier for the NHL if players keep their mouths shut. There does not seem to be a reliable method of recourse for "whistleblowers" like Aliu. (Is this the right word?) At least media are finally reporting on him, but still, not much happened to Bill Peters, the guy who called him the n word, who is now a coach of Russia's KHL. What a disheartening story; a scary reflection of how people of colour are treated in sport.
What made me sad reading the book was that Saul was only able to escape the residential school because he had a skill that was appealing to write people. The hockey anecdotes were so compelling, and really wrap you up in the moment, so I think its easy to forget the dark underpinning of the sport. There is clearly the socioeconomic imbalance with the white teams, yet Saul's team is able to somewhat overcome this by having better skill. The racism is something that is just too big to usurp, however. Even after they demonstrate themselves to have equal abilities to the white hockey players, Saul and his team are still reduced to the colour of their skin. The white men at the restaurant who beat them up claim that no matter how good they are at hockey, they will never be anything more than their skin colour.
I did not know who Akim Aliu was, but to me, he seems like Canada's Colin Kaepernick, who was also shunned from sport for speaking out. Does hockey require complacency? Certainly it seems easier for the NHL if players keep their mouths shut. There does not seem to be a reliable method of recourse for "whistleblowers" like Aliu. (Is this the right word?) At least media are finally reporting on him, but still, not much happened to Bill Peters, the guy who called him the n word, who is now a coach of Russia's KHL. What a disheartening story; a scary reflection of how people of colour are treated in sport.
Hi Marcos,
When reading the descriptions of Akim Aliu in Nicole and Sarah's responses below yours, I was also thinking of the comparison of Colin Kaepernick. I find it sad that sports (which are meant to unify people as a team and be a form of 'escape' for many including Saul) are another system embedded with racism and the dividing of races. I find it even more heartbreaking that when people speak out against racism in sport (through verbal speech or symbolic actions like Kaepernick) they face backlash.
When reading the descriptions of Akim Aliu in Nicole and Sarah's responses below yours, I was also thinking of the comparison of Colin Kaepernick. I find it sad that sports (which are meant to unify people as a team and be a form of 'escape' for many including Saul) are another system embedded with racism and the dividing of races. I find it even more heartbreaking that when people speak out against racism in sport (through verbal speech or symbolic actions like Kaepernick) they face backlash.
One of my favourite shows is Battle of the Blades. As a former figure skater and a hockey fan, I love seeing both sports come together, as hockey players learn a whole new skill set and an appreciation for a sport I love. Season 6 started last week and has a very powerful cast that includes Akim Aliu. In his opening interview, Aliu gives viewers a small glimpse into his hockey experience and the racism that he faced as a hockey player. In an article Aliu wrote for the Players' Tribune, he gives more details about his experience with racism and sheds a broader light on racism within the sport in general. Of particular interest is how one's skills did not matter if the team coach or manager did not like you. This reality confronted Aliu and hindered his career.
The show also features Asher Hill who is a retired Canadian ice dancer. In his interview for the show, Hill expressed that a significant contributing factor that led him to leave figure skating was that the marks that he and his partner were receiving did not, in his opinion, match their programs. Hill expressed that he would be naive to think that these marks had nothing to do with his race. In a CBC article, Hill notes that people assumed that he would not be able to skate well because of his race. However, their lack of surprise in his ability to jump also has the same root causes. Accordingly, Hill faced racism in sport on a variety of levels.
The anger that Saul felt in The Indian Horse is also present in both these athletes. For Hill, these feelings are evident during his interview for the show, and Aliu's frustrations are present through his voice in the article. Interestingly, all three individuals have sought positions to enact change to support other athletes. In the novel, Saul becomes a coach in his community. Aliu is an activist and formed the Hockey Diversity Alliance (HDA) with other BIPOC hockey players. In this way, he is seeking to eradicate racism in hockey and to do so, the HDA has made various requests to the NHL. Asher is now a coach at his sister's skating where all the coaches are POC so that skaters have safe spaces to do the sport. Something that I think these experiences can teach us is that we need POC in positions of power within sports to provide support and guidance for athletes. In this way, those feelings of solitude that all three men felt in their respective sports may, to a degree, be alieved. When Saul was on the path to becoming a pro, there was no one there to support him as the other players targeted him or to understand his experiences and it appears that Aliu and Hill also faced these realities.
Aliu's article: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/hockey-is-not-for-everyone-akim-aliu-nhl
CBC article on Hill: https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/black-history-month-1.5478329
Hi Nicole, this is a great discussion post, it is interesting how Aliu Akim is on the show that you watch! I really agree with how we need POC in positions of power to help POC athletes but also to help dismantle the racism that is occurring in hockey and sports. Saul was only surrounded by people outside of his race, and had no one to confide in or relate to, so I think that is a great point. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Nicole!
I grew up in competitive figure skating and my family loves to watch Battle of the Blades. I was pleased to see that you made note of how racism in sport is evident through the stories of Akim Aliu and Asher Hill. Sports should be a place of inclusivity where EVERYONE is welcome however, as we have seen time and time again that is often not the case. I agree with you that POC in positions of power in sport would help to move forward in making a more supportive and inclusive environment. Although Saul was a naturally gifted hockey player, he faced discrimination where he was ultimately told that hockey was never meant for people like him. Similar to Saul, the talent held by both Aliu and Hill were undermined by the racist and discriminatory treatment that they faced.
Further using an example from figure skating, Vanessa James, another cast member on the show and former competitive pairs skater notes that “there has always been a little bit of isolation and not feeling included. If you look at [clothes] for figure skating, you don’t find tights for Black girls of people of colour, you don’t find skates that are the same colour, it’s hard to find matching things like that. So it gives the idea they’re not welcomed” (CBC). I think that this serves to exemplify the depth of racism in sport. As James mentions, finding tights for POC is difficult. How is a person supposed to feel accepted in a sport when their access to equipment such as tights or skates that match their skin tone is incredibly difficult (if not impossible) to find? Like Saul, Aliu and Hill, James is also working towards making a more inclusive sport where the next generation of figure skaters feel welcomed.
I wanted to bring attention to the organization 'Figure Skating in Detroit'. They "are the only organization for girls of color that combines the power of education with access to the artistic discipline of figure skating to build champions in life." I think that implementing more programs similar to this would be incredibly beneficial in creating change to make sports a more inclusive and accepting space.
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/figureskating/battle-of-the-blades-diversity-aliu-james-hill-1.5772005
https://www.figureskatingindetroit.org/
I grew up in competitive figure skating and my family loves to watch Battle of the Blades. I was pleased to see that you made note of how racism in sport is evident through the stories of Akim Aliu and Asher Hill. Sports should be a place of inclusivity where EVERYONE is welcome however, as we have seen time and time again that is often not the case. I agree with you that POC in positions of power in sport would help to move forward in making a more supportive and inclusive environment. Although Saul was a naturally gifted hockey player, he faced discrimination where he was ultimately told that hockey was never meant for people like him. Similar to Saul, the talent held by both Aliu and Hill were undermined by the racist and discriminatory treatment that they faced.
Further using an example from figure skating, Vanessa James, another cast member on the show and former competitive pairs skater notes that “there has always been a little bit of isolation and not feeling included. If you look at [clothes] for figure skating, you don’t find tights for Black girls of people of colour, you don’t find skates that are the same colour, it’s hard to find matching things like that. So it gives the idea they’re not welcomed” (CBC). I think that this serves to exemplify the depth of racism in sport. As James mentions, finding tights for POC is difficult. How is a person supposed to feel accepted in a sport when their access to equipment such as tights or skates that match their skin tone is incredibly difficult (if not impossible) to find? Like Saul, Aliu and Hill, James is also working towards making a more inclusive sport where the next generation of figure skaters feel welcomed.
I wanted to bring attention to the organization 'Figure Skating in Detroit'. They "are the only organization for girls of color that combines the power of education with access to the artistic discipline of figure skating to build champions in life." I think that implementing more programs similar to this would be incredibly beneficial in creating change to make sports a more inclusive and accepting space.
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/figureskating/battle-of-the-blades-diversity-aliu-james-hill-1.5772005
https://www.figureskatingindetroit.org/
Akim Aliu is a former NHL player who spoke out about rookie hazing in hockey culture, as well as the racism in hockey culture, even in the NHL. Because he spoke out about incidents such as NHL coaches using the N word, it affected his career negatively, which is so very disheartening. We should be supporting those who come out and share stories of discrimination, not shunning them. A quote from Akim that stuck with me though was his comments on a diversity campaign by the NHL called "Hockey is for everyone" where he commented, "Makes me crack up. Because, right now, hockey is not for everyone. I learned that when I was 16.” I think that this was something Saul had to find out as well. When Saul as a child was asked to play with a white, in town team, he was the best player there. However he was ridiculed, made fun of based on his race and eventually kicked off the team. We see this again when he goes to Toronto to play with an NHL feeder team, where he is so tormented because he is Indigenous, this time even by the media, that it crushes his spirit, and he loses joy in a sport that used to be his only source of joy. It is brought up in the novel that white people think hockey is "their game", and Saul questions why they believe this, and we certainly see proof that they do think this and do not want outsiders coming in.
It is sad that this reality is reflected in the NHL and hockey today. There are many instances of other black hockey players sharing stories as well such as Peter Worell who played in the NHL, he tells stories of racist taunts by other players and by spectators. He expresses feelings of hopelessness, he could not do anything to stop it. Hockey is supposedly Canada's game, something that brings us all together. But if racism is embedded into this national treasure, then we must reevaluate. We cannot silence the men and women coming forward with their stories. We see how this racism in hockey sucked the life out of Saul, and to know it is an ongoing reality for players of colour is very frustrating.
Links: https://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/i-didn-t-have-a-voice-former-nhl-player-akim-aliu-discusses-racial-divides-in-hockey-1.4962601
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47394381
It is sad that this reality is reflected in the NHL and hockey today. There are many instances of other black hockey players sharing stories as well such as Peter Worell who played in the NHL, he tells stories of racist taunts by other players and by spectators. He expresses feelings of hopelessness, he could not do anything to stop it. Hockey is supposedly Canada's game, something that brings us all together. But if racism is embedded into this national treasure, then we must reevaluate. We cannot silence the men and women coming forward with their stories. We see how this racism in hockey sucked the life out of Saul, and to know it is an ongoing reality for players of colour is very frustrating.
Links: https://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/i-didn-t-have-a-voice-former-nhl-player-akim-aliu-discusses-racial-divides-in-hockey-1.4962601
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47394381
I think you did a great job of summarizing the main points and connecting them to the book. I did not know about Akim Aliu but I think you made a good connection with his story to Saul. I think that it is heartbreaking that despite the evident skills of Saul he was still ridiculed. I really liked your comment about hockey being "Canada's game", hockey is such a significant symbol of unity in Canada and it is unacceptable that people like Akim Aliu face racism by not only their team but by the organizations and structures that make up the game.
Hey Sarah!
I had never heard of Akim Aliu prior to your discussion post. Thank you for giving us this information!! I think it is appalling that some people believe the colour of one's skin would have any bearing on their ability to play a sport. I think this is a testament to the blatant racism that still exists in Canada even though many people believe it does not. It is terrible that this is still the reality in the hockey world, as well as other sports.
I had never heard of Akim Aliu prior to your discussion post. Thank you for giving us this information!! I think it is appalling that some people believe the colour of one's skin would have any bearing on their ability to play a sport. I think this is a testament to the blatant racism that still exists in Canada even though many people believe it does not. It is terrible that this is still the reality in the hockey world, as well as other sports.
So, hockey is my favourite thing in the world. My husband and I met because of it. I've been obsessed with it my whole life. But at the same time, I find it hard to reconcile my love of hockey with my love of human rights. Hockey has a problem. The culture is disgusting. It creates bullies. For the good players who make the Canadian Junior system, hockey takes kids who are barely high school age and places them with billet families and they focus on hockey playing in a league that generations millions of dollars. These kids get a high school education but they rarely attend class and end up graduating being engulfed in the culture of hockey.
I used Akim as an example, but there are others who are now speaking out. The problem is not going away though. Just a couple of days ago, news broke that the Arizona Coyotes drafted a player who when in school rubs a sucker in the toilet bowl at school and then convinced a person of colour to eat the sucker. He also beat the kid up. The NHL and the team knew of his passed racist behaviour and drafted him anyway. Coaches have been accused of using racist slurs. Some have even been fired as a result. Other accusations get pushed under the rug.
I wonder if there is a change in the culture of hockey, meaning a change in the way the entire system is set up in Canada, would that be enough? You put kids in a team with the same group of kids and they become a family. That seems great. But it also creates a gang-type mentality where anyone who doesn't fit what the majority think is the norm, is left out.
On CBC a few weeks ago, a former pro player was talking about being in the Canadian Junior system and never being able to be himself, a gay man. His teammates would call people homophobic slurs. The issues go beyond race. Now this fellow does seminars with teams where he asks the team to tell him something they would not feel comfortable telling the group. He says once the first player opens up about something, whether it be a type of music or hobbies, the floodgates open. He hopes he is able to create a dialogue with teams to get players to be able to be themselves and break what ends up being the bully-cycle.
This was a rant.
I used Akim as an example, but there are others who are now speaking out. The problem is not going away though. Just a couple of days ago, news broke that the Arizona Coyotes drafted a player who when in school rubs a sucker in the toilet bowl at school and then convinced a person of colour to eat the sucker. He also beat the kid up. The NHL and the team knew of his passed racist behaviour and drafted him anyway. Coaches have been accused of using racist slurs. Some have even been fired as a result. Other accusations get pushed under the rug.
I wonder if there is a change in the culture of hockey, meaning a change in the way the entire system is set up in Canada, would that be enough? You put kids in a team with the same group of kids and they become a family. That seems great. But it also creates a gang-type mentality where anyone who doesn't fit what the majority think is the norm, is left out.
On CBC a few weeks ago, a former pro player was talking about being in the Canadian Junior system and never being able to be himself, a gay man. His teammates would call people homophobic slurs. The issues go beyond race. Now this fellow does seminars with teams where he asks the team to tell him something they would not feel comfortable telling the group. He says once the first player opens up about something, whether it be a type of music or hobbies, the floodgates open. He hopes he is able to create a dialogue with teams to get players to be able to be themselves and break what ends up being the bully-cycle.
This was a rant.
I know we are discussing this novel here and Saul's feelings but I have to say, I am not an avid hockey fan. The plays bore me, and I got made fun of in elementary school for not knowing team names (ex. Montreal CANADIANS or Toronto MAPLE LEAFS)
Anyways, the culture is literal filth if you ask me. I am sorry to offend anyone. From Don Cherry trashing Newfoundland's seal hunt (and by that extension, any indigenous groups who had seal hunted), to the racist coach who would call racial slurs out to Akim Aliu. I grew up in a small town where hockey was all the rage and in my opinion, it makes a lot of people feel superior and act cocky. As you said Professor D, it LITERALLY creates bullies. I have been on the other side of that fence for a while.
What made me really mad this year was the fact that in the FACE of racism, in the face of George Floyd's death, NHL got cancelled for what? A single night? A weekend? For "Black Lives Matter". As if it does in Hockey. NBA has done a much better job of advocacy and they did that because there are more black basketball players and they CARE about people. Hockey is full of white men and is essentially a sweaty white men's club. They do NOT seem to care about people. Only hockey and the millions they generate in revenue. Which is actually hilarious because I'm pretty sure the NBA after the NFH is the most popular sports program televised.
Anyways, the culture is literal filth if you ask me. I am sorry to offend anyone. From Don Cherry trashing Newfoundland's seal hunt (and by that extension, any indigenous groups who had seal hunted), to the racist coach who would call racial slurs out to Akim Aliu. I grew up in a small town where hockey was all the rage and in my opinion, it makes a lot of people feel superior and act cocky. As you said Professor D, it LITERALLY creates bullies. I have been on the other side of that fence for a while.
What made me really mad this year was the fact that in the FACE of racism, in the face of George Floyd's death, NHL got cancelled for what? A single night? A weekend? For "Black Lives Matter". As if it does in Hockey. NBA has done a much better job of advocacy and they did that because there are more black basketball players and they CARE about people. Hockey is full of white men and is essentially a sweaty white men's club. They do NOT seem to care about people. Only hockey and the millions they generate in revenue. Which is actually hilarious because I'm pretty sure the NBA after the NFH is the most popular sports program televised.
My last comment here is more of a rhetorical question: If Hockey is as racist as it seems, should Canada really look over the fence at the US and call them out, or rather, look inward and see our innate nature for racism that is so clearly represented in the game we cherish, the game we hold most high, and the game we claim represents our nation?
https://www.citynews1130.com/2020/08/27/nhl-black-lives-matter-protests-critics/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/10/sports/hockey/nhl-racism-protests-george-floyd.html
https://globalnews.ca/news/7302033/nhl-games-suspended-police-brutality/ (Sorry, they POSTPONED 4 games, my bad. I gave the NHL the benefit of the doubt.)
https://deadline.com/2020/08/nhl-postseason-black-lives-matter-matt-dumba-1203001616/ (INSANE!)
https://www.citynews1130.com/2020/08/27/nhl-black-lives-matter-protests-critics/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/10/sports/hockey/nhl-racism-protests-george-floyd.html
https://globalnews.ca/news/7302033/nhl-games-suspended-police-brutality/ (Sorry, they POSTPONED 4 games, my bad. I gave the NHL the benefit of the doubt.)
https://deadline.com/2020/08/nhl-postseason-black-lives-matter-matt-dumba-1203001616/ (INSANE!)
Hi Jessie Lynn, thank you for sharing your personal experience with hockey and hockey culture. No one should be made fun of for not having an interest in something. I do agree that the NBA has really done a lot for advocating for Black lives and more than the NHL has done. Anyone with a large platform should be using it for good. It seemed as if the NHL only followed suit with the postponing of games after seeing the NBA doing it, and did not do much to follow up. For your rhetorical question, I do think we need to look within Canada to fix ourselves, it is of course very important. Too many people are in the mindset of "at least I am in Canada!" without realizing we have racism here against Black people, but especially against Indigenous people as we have seen in our novel. Assuming Canada is perfect is a dangerous mindset. I do not think that means we do not have the right to call out the racism in the US, being an ally or advocating for Black and POC lives can stretch beyond borders, but I understand what you mean. We certainly need to reevaluate hockey culture and sports culture within Canada and make it better, because we do clearly have a problem right now.
Hi Dr. Diapaolo,
I appreciated your rant and I share many of your feelings. The level of tolerance for hateful acts and crimes committed by professional athletes is ridiculously high. People's past actions should matter and not be tolerated regardless of talent. That said, I think there is a vibrate mentality of "protecting our own" in the hockey community. I know of hockey teams and players at all levels that have committed racist acts and/or acts of sexual violence and these instances are automatically covered up or overlooked in the name of sport and talent. I find all of this very enraging, especially as those who don't conform or take the abuse, like Akim Aliu, are harassed as a result.
I appreciated your rant and I share many of your feelings. The level of tolerance for hateful acts and crimes committed by professional athletes is ridiculously high. People's past actions should matter and not be tolerated regardless of talent. That said, I think there is a vibrate mentality of "protecting our own" in the hockey community. I know of hockey teams and players at all levels that have committed racist acts and/or acts of sexual violence and these instances are automatically covered up or overlooked in the name of sport and talent. I find all of this very enraging, especially as those who don't conform or take the abuse, like Akim Aliu, are harassed as a result.
It is appalling I know. I agree that it is within other sports as well, competitive sports culture can be very toxic and as we have seen, even racist. It definitely needs to change.
Akim Aliu is a Nigerian born former NHL player that spoke out about hazing practices and was called racial slurs by even his coach. At the time of the incident Aliu did not press charges for fear of it getting media attention. I did not know about Aliu story before but when reading this I asked myself the question of "why is it that individuals of color are afraid to seek the justice they deserve?" If it were a white male in the same situation they would have gotten mass media coverage without having to try. Aliu coach used racial slurs when addressing him and his teammates did nothing. This reminded me of how Saul's teammates and opponents would be disrespectful towards him, calling him racial slurs and others would not help. Instead of getting the help he needed in the moment he was left to build anger and become arrogant. Even so he was blamed for his arrogance versus looking at what caused that arrogance and rage. Aliu is still experiencing backlash for his story while the issue his story highlighted still very much exist. It is truly sad to realize that a sport that degrades, belittles and ill treats colored individuals can be idolized without amendment.
Once I started diving more into my life in North America (USA and Canada), I remember being in shock and confusion when I encountered Indigenous peoples and cultures used as mascots or names for sports teams. I honestly still can't wrap my head around it. The irony of how deeply racism runs in these circles, yet they use Indigenous people like their brands. I still get angry, is 2020, and there are sports teams that refuse to change their names or mascots. I will say cultural appropriation ar is the finest. I don't understand why people cannot connect colonialism and racism as the root of all of these practices.
Hi
I can relate to your statement. I was exposed to these sport team names and mascots before I came to Canada and I thought it was perfectly fine. After coming to Canada and being exposed to the realities like residential school and indigenous land rights, I cannot understand it is acceptable to continue use the culture of Indigenous people as a source of entertainment.
I can relate to your statement. I was exposed to these sport team names and mascots before I came to Canada and I thought it was perfectly fine. After coming to Canada and being exposed to the realities like residential school and indigenous land rights, I cannot understand it is acceptable to continue use the culture of Indigenous people as a source of entertainment.