by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
Pilot Mound Hockey Academy, Pilot Mound, Manitoba, Canada, has been sending First Nations hockey players to major universities for a number of years. It is promoted as a world-class academic and hockey training facility to maximize student athletic and academic potential.
2017 graduate Saige McKay appeared in 64 games as a high school senior, scoring 16 goals with 17 assists. She was named a Top Defenseman by the Canadian Sport School Hockey League and also played for the Boston Shamrocks.
Saige McKay is a 5’5, freshman, ice hockey player at NCAA DI Long Island University Post. Her tribes are Swampy Cree and Micmac. Her mom is Anna Mckay (Swampy Cree) and dad is Jimmy Augustine (Micmac). Saige is from Cross Lake, Manitoba but currently lived on Long Island, New York. “Tepwe Mikisew” is the Cree word for her spiritual name. She received it when she was younger from David Blacksmith, a medicine man of Cree decent from her own reserve. Tepwe means to yell loud, speaks truth so people will hear the truth, and mikisew a spirit that’s takes prayers to the spirit world.
“Being an Indigenous student-athlete has pushed me harder than an average individual,” said Saige. “I know that Natives are looked down on and we have this reputation of being not very successful. This pushes me because I know that isn’t the case at all. Us indigenous people are very driven and want nothing but the best for our people. I believe that we are strong enough to push passed any negativity we encounter.”
“There are a few people who I’ve found to positively influence me in getting to where I am today,” said Saige. “One of them being Pam McLeod. She’s a couple years older than I am but I grew up playing with her and was always amazed on how good of a player she is, and right then and there I’ve always aspired to be as good of a player she is. Not only a player but as a person. She’s one of the most humble people I know and has never let any negative comments or messages get to her in anyway. She’s always given me great advice on hockey and life. Whenever I felt discouraged with hockey, she was always there to tell me otherwise.”
“Other positive influences were my coaches during my senior year of high school at Pilot Mound Hockey Academy, Harry Mahesh and Brad Platt,” said Saige. “The relationship and bond I had with my two coaches is something I’ll never forget. These two have pushed me beyond my reaching point. My senior year was hard with hockey, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I used too and these two changed that as soon as they knew what was going on. They are truly the most supportive coaches I’ve had, because they believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. Still today, they’ll FaceTime or call to check on me and ask how everything is going and I appreciate that so much.”
“My mom is someone who has also influenced me in many ways,” said Saige. “She’s always there whenever I need her. When I moved away from home at 15, she pushed me to succeed and has supported me fully through it all. It was crazy how big of an impact she had on me while I was in another country. She even once drove 24 hours to surprise me during playoffs last season.”
“As student-athletes we tend to focus a lot on our physical health,” said Saige. “Everyday its workout, practice, and school. We forget that our mental health exists. For me, mental health has become a big thing in my life. I believe that because we are so busy we forget to take care of our mental health. During my senior year of high school I hit a very low point with life and hockey. I was diagnosed with severe depression. Everyday I felt as if it was never going to get better, I always had a hard time getting out of bed, hated hockey to a point where I thought about quitting, and had no effort for school. It all changed with help from my coaches, friends, and family. I started to realize that I wasn’t alone as much as it felt like I was. I started to surround myself with people that loved me and genuinely cared about me. I started taking care of my body and focusing on what I needed to do to get better and as hard as it was, I eventually felt better.”
“Your mental health is something you have to take very seriously because it is just as important as your physical health. Know you are not alone and there’s always someone you can talk too,” added Saige.
Photo Credit: Alan Schaefer, Long Island University Post Athletics Media
Glad to say I’m from where she’s from and I am actually playing my first year with pilot mound buffaloes I’m in grade 10 15 years old I look up to these girls and hope to get where they are right now !
Mi’kmaw or Mi’kmaq 🙂