NCAA DI Hockey Player Mariah Gardner (Ojibwe): Blessed To Have Family and Athletics As My Support System

By Dan Ninham (Oneida)

Mariah Gardner is Ojibwe from Migisi Sahgaigan First Nation (Eagle Lake, Ontario). Her father, Vince Gardner, is Ojibwe from Eagle Lake and her mother Donna Gardner is Ojibwe from Couchiching First Nation.

Mariah Gardner is an NCAA DI hockey player. She is a 5-8 junior forward for the Minnesota State University Mavericks. She led Minnesota high school hockey with assists (60) and points (97) while leading the Warroad Warriors to a state high school third-place finish in 2016.

When Mariah was nine years old, her and her father, two older sisters, and eventually her younger brother, moved to Warroad, Minnesota from Eagle Lake, Ontario. The family stayed in Warroad for almost a decade. “My father, siblings and I moved to Warroad with the hopes of gaining a better education and to play hockey at a more competitive level,” said Mariah. “The decision to move to Warroad had a very positive effect on our family as my eldest sister, Kayla, went on to play at the University of North Dakota and our other sister Demi played with me here at Minnesota State University, for two years. Currently, my younger brother, Daimon, is playing for the Rink Hockey Academy in Winnipeg, MB.”

There are seven children in the Gardner household: Megan (32), Tori (26), Devon (26), Kayla (24), Demi (22), Mariah (20), and Daimon (16). “Megan and Tori played hockey when they were younger, but their interest switched to horse back riding which is now their main interest. And Devon didn’t play,” added Mariah. “Demi is in Winnipeg living with my dad, going to Cosmetology school. Kayla is living in Eagle Lake right now,

Megan lives in Dryden, Ontario and has three kids and Tori lives in Calgary, Alberta. Devon lives in Kenora, Ontario and he was my Native American Arts and Ojibwe Language teacher at Warroad High School. I enjoyed being in his class as I was able to learn more about my culture from him as well as the language, he always did his best to spread his knowledge onto his students.”

“A tribal core value that I feel most defines who I am as a student-athlete is respect,” said Mariah. “Growing up the importance of respect was always taught and stressed to me by my elders. From this, I have learned to have respect for not only the elders who have gifted me with this knowledge but for every person I encounter. This value has been crucial for me as a student athlete, as it is important to be respectful in the classroom, towards coaches and teammates and to have respect for my University that I am representing. The tribal core value of respect is one that I utilize every day.”

“I am currently double majoring in American Indigenous Studies and Social Work, with a minor in Social Welfare Services,” said Mariah. “In the future, I aspire to be a youth coordinator, specifically for Indigenous youth. Growing up on a Reservation I was able to witness the many struggles and hardships that face Indigenous Youth every day. As I reflect back on my upbringing I have come to the realization that I was very blessed to have family and athletics to rely on for a support system. However, others were not as lucky as me. As an Indigenous Youth Coordinator, I’d like to be a support system that youth could trust and rely on consistently. As I have a background in athletics I would like to take advantage of this and share with the youth the positive ways in which athletics has impacted my life. I would also like to introduce them to athletics as an additional support system and a way in which they can cope and escape the hardships and struggles they are facing.”

“My main influences are my father, Vince Gardner and both of my grandparents, Phillip and Rose Gardner,” said Mariah. “Undoubtedly these three people have had the greatest and most positive influence on me as a student-athlete and person. They have continuously supported me and gifted me with the opportunity to achieve my goal of attaining a higher education while continuing to play the sport I love. The unwavering support, time, and commitment they have invested in me shaped me into who I am today. They are my motivation and the reason I continue to work hard in everything that I do. No matter what I choose to do in life, it is comforting to know that they will always be in my corner supporting me.”

Both grandparents are spiritual people and played a big role in the development of their grandkids. “My parents are both fluent in Ojibwe. My dad is a drum keeper pipe carrier. My parents are humble people. That is one of the teachings they have given my kids is to be humble. Respect, work hard, and give back are also values we teach,” said Vince.

Warroad is a special place for hockey development for boys and girls. Many believe this is the heart of hockey and is influential in the development of advanced skills to further goals toward college and professional hockey pursuits. One of the arenas has the spor-specific culture emblazoned on the wall, Hockeytown, which was above the words, Come Early, Stay Late, Skate Every Day. The Gardner family migrated to the right place to pursue their hockey dreams with Warroad and beyond hockey opportunities.

The Gardner hockey girls were featured in a segment of the Warroad hockey historically-rich film, The Road Through Warroad // NBCSN, beginning at the 13:15 mark but you need to watch the whole video: http://www.lucasjharger.com/projects/warroad

The Gardner girls left their marks on Warroad Hockey. All played five years of varsity and are ranked on the all time scorer’s board with goals and assists: #4 ranked Kayla (368), #5 Mariah (309), and # 11 Demi (217). Two-time US Olympic Hockey Silver Medalist Gigi Marvin (425) and Lisa Marvin (410) ranked #1 and 2.

“Mariah was a quiet leader, very popular with her teammates, has incredible vision, and always knew where teammates were on the ice. All three Gardner’s were great to coach…so much skill,” said Warroad High School girl’s hockey head coach Dave Marvin.

“Our love for hockey came from my Dad Philip Gardner,” said Vince. “He was part of a team that won five championships while attending Assiniboine High School in Manitoba. That hockey team was recently inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame. He is a Winnipeg University graduate. My Dad Philip Gardner and mother Rose Gardner were both big on education and hockey.”

“Other hockey families that support their kids have made the same sacrifices as well. It is important to give your support to the kids who love what they’re doing,” added Vince.

“My oldest daughter Kayla play pro hockey in Calgary and Sweden after she graduated from Criminal Justice at the University of North Dakota. Demi had injuries from hockey that kept her from training and competing at the elite level she didn’t go back after Christmas last December she is now going to school in Winnipeg Manitoba,” added Vince.

“Mariah is in her third year at Minnesota State University,” said Vince. “She spends a lot of time getting prepared and staying in shape to play at an elite level. She has to manage her time well for schoolwork and her training. It is a big commitment and we do our best to support her.”

“When the kids were younger I used to drive them from Warroad to Thief River Falls. It was an hour-and-a-half one way and they would train two to three times with Tim Bergland, a former NHL guy. “The whole family were so fun to train,” said Bergland. “All of the kids had a tremendous work ethic. Mariah was the youngest girl and was of course happy to be with her older sisters. The other thing was how engaged they were to listening and learning!”

“We did that for two years then I eventually started taking them to Winnipeg for specialized training for power skating skill work and weight lifting three times a week and it was a five-hour round-trip. Kayla and Demi went through the national development program in the United States. Mariah chose to do her hockey with Team Manitoba,” added Vince.

“I had the fortune of knowing Mariah as a student and watched her compete on the ice,” said Jamie Snowden (Leech Lake Ojibwe), Warroad High School teacher. “She was an assassin out on the ice with silky smooth moves. She could either hurt you by scoring goals or setting up her teammates. Mariah would control the tempo of the game by always having the puck on her stick. She was great at going into scrum on the boards and coming out with the biscuit. She is a quiet leader, shy in the classroom but always had a smile on her face.”

“Mariah had an outstanding high school career at Warroad, and I think she understood that her team needed her to perform and produce at a high level,” said John Harrington, head women’s hockey coach at Minnesota State University.  “Mariah is a very unselfish player, and that showed in her assist totals as a high school player.  As we see the outstanding young girl hockey players at Warroad, I feel that Mariah established herself as the role model for those young players, and her contributions to helping develop that approach in Warroad will, along with her scoring records, always be remembered.”

“Mariah got off to a slow start here at Minnesota State University as she was a partial qualifier her incoming year and had to sit out our games for the first semester.  She also had injured her knee the summer before school started here, and was rehabbing that injury.   She has had some other minor injuries, and I think those injuries, up to this season, have kept her from establishing herself as one of our top players,” added Coach Harrington.

“When Mariah arrived at Minnesota State, she was a very quiet, somewhat shy person,” said Coach Harrington.  “I have noticed that in the past couple of years she has really become much more social and her personality is showing through both on the ice and off the ice.  She is off to a good start this season with a team leading 3 goals and 4 points overall after four games, and we hope we are seeing the player we saw when she was back in high school.  We are excited for Mariah this season as we feel she can establish herself as an offensive contributor for the Mavericks.”

Mariah said: “Although I am a very introverted person, I always strive to be positive with the hope of creating a positive environment for my teammates. I like to make everyone feel welcome and often make jokes to lighten the mood when situations get overwhelming. On the ice, I’m not the fastest or strongest player, but I pride myself on my ability to see and analyze the game, which allows me to make smart decisions and plays.”

Photographs provided courtesy of Mackaelie Herr.