Thanks to a $700 grant from the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations’ ‘Try Day program’, students at St. Paul Catholic Secondary School explored the grants’ theme, ‘Focus on Fitness’, and embraced a new winter sport rooted in Indigenous tradition.
For the past two weeks, Mrs. Gauthier’s Grade 11 English - Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Voices (NBE) class in partnership with the Board’s Indigenous Graduation Coaches, Eli and Mahaley, explored the rich history and cultural significance of Snow Snakes, a traditional Haudenosaunee winter sport.
The project culminated today in a Snow Snakes Tournament, which was planned and led entirely by Grade 11 NBE students. Guided by Mohawk community knowledge keeper and Snow Snake player Kanonhsowanen Dustin Brant from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, students participated in land-based, experiential learning where they discovered, firsthand, how this traditional game carries deep cultural meaning and continues to build community.
As part of their preparation, students researched Indigenous athletes, the Arctic Winter Games, sport as resistance to racism and prejudice, and the role of traditional Indigenous games in cultural resurgence. After presenting their findings, the class voted to bring Snow Snakes to life for their Try Day initiative.
From there, learning moved into action.
In the school’s Technology and Skilled Trades classrooms, students crafted their own snow snakes from wooden dowels; whittling, sanding, painting, sealing, and waxing each piece in preparation for competition. They also built a traditional snow track to host the tournament.
Indigenous Education Graduation Coach, Eli Brinklow, works with Grade 11 NBE students on crafting their snow snakes for the St. Paul Catholic Secondary School inaugural tournament.
In the morning, kindergarten students from St. Peter Catholic School joined the fun, while Grade 7 and 8 students from St. Paul Catholic School participated in the afternoon portion of the tournament.
Grade 11 NBE student teachers Kindergarten student from St. Peter Catholic School how to launch a snow snake.
One student reflected on the significance of the experience:
“When a school chooses to include an Indigenous sport in athletics, it challenges the idea that only certain or Western sports ‘count’ or deserve attention. It shows that Indigenous traditions are just as important and supports resurgence by creating a space for Indigenous students to see their culture represented in a positive and powerful way. When we see students playing traditional Indigenous sports, we are not just watching athletics, we are watching culture that has survived colonization and continues to bring communities together.”
About Snow Snakes:
Snow Snakes is a traditional Haudenosaunee winter game often described as a “medicine game,” historically played to lift spirits during long winters. Today the games are played for sport and to build comradery. The objective is simple yet skillful: players throw their handcrafted wooden snake down a smooth trough in the snow, aiming for the farthest distance.
Through hands-on learning, cultural exploration, and student leadership, the SPCSS Snow Snakes Tournament was more than a Try Day activity, it was an act of learning, respect, and celebration of traditional Indigenous sport.