Posted on March 13, 2023

Land Acknowledgment to Be Part of Flames’ 1st Indigenous Celebration Game

Jonathon Sharp, CBC, March 4, 2023

Quentin Pipestem, a three-time world champion hoop dancer from Tsuut’ina Nation, is slated to perform this weekend inside a packed Saddledome.

His dancing will be part of the Calgary Flames’ first Indigenous Celebration Game, which is set for Saturday night when the Flames take on the Minnesota Wild. Organizers are planning to make the Indigenous Celebration Game an annual event.

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One of the most anticipated elements of the Indigenous Celebration Game will be a land acknowledgement.

The Flames are the last Canadian team in the NHL to include one before games.

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Saturday’s event has the potential to set a standard for showcasing Indigenous culture at professional sports games, White said.

“I think it’s going to create a model … that will provide guidance and direction for other NHL clubs and teams in general,” he said.

According to organizers, the event will start with a pre-game show featuring ceremonies involving chiefs, elders and princesses from the Treaty 7 nations. One of these pre-game ceremonies will be the land acknowledgement.

As they warm up on the ice, Flames players will wear a custom jersey with an Indigenized version of the fire-breathing Blasty horse. The design adds eagle feathers and markings on the horse’s face, which symbolize keen vision and great accomplishments.

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