Stickhandling through the Margins
First Nations Hockey in Canada
- Publisher
- University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division
- Initial publish date
- Apr 2012
- Category
- Hockey, Native American Studies, General
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781442613386
- Publish Date
- Apr 2012
- List Price
- $35.95
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9781442645233
- Publish Date
- Apr 2012
- List Price
- $54.00
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781442662148
- Publish Date
- Apr 2012
- List Price
- $26.95
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Where to buy it
Out of print
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Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age: 16
- Grade: 11
Description
Some of hockey’s fiercest and most passionate players and fans can be found among Canada's First Nations populations, including NHL greats Jordin Tootoo, Jonathan Cheechoo, and Gino Odjick. At first glance the importance of hockey to the country's Aboriginal peoples may seem to indicate assimilation into mainstream society, but Michael A. Robidoux reveals that the game is played and understood very differently in this cultural context. Rather than capitulating to the Euro-Canadian construct of sport, First Nations hockey has become an important site for expressing rich local knowledge and culture.
With stories and observations gleaned from three years of ethnographic research, Stickhandling through the Margins richly illustrates how hockey is played and experienced by First Nations peoples across Canada, both in isolated reserve communities and at tournaments that bring together participants from across the country. Robidoux's vivid description transports readers into the world of First Nations hockey, revealing it to be a highly social and at times even spiritual activity ripe with hidden layers of meaning that are often surprising to the outside observer.
About the author
Michael A. Robidoux is an associate professor in the School of Human Kinetics and the Indigenous Health Research Group at the University of Ottawa.
Librarian Reviews
Stickhandling Through the Margins: First Nations Hockey in Canada
Based on three years of ethnographic research, this book illustrates how hockey is played and experienced by First Nations peoples across Canada, on reserve and at national tournaments. Focusing on First Nations hockey players and fans, it shows that the game familiar to the wider Canadian society is played and understood very differently in a First Nations cultural context where it becomes a vehicle to express local experience and culture. Dramatic descriptions carry readers into the First Nations hockey world, revealing it to be often a social and spiritual activity with hidden layers of meaning unfamiliar to outside observers, showing connections between sport and survival in First Nations communities.Source: The Association of Book Publishers of BC. Canadian Aboriginal Books for Schools. 2012-2013.
