Chicago Blackhawks fan wearing headdress shocks hockey fans

It was a much anticipated, Central Division match-up between the hometownWinnipeg Jets and the visiting team from Chicago. The MTS Centre was abuzz withour heroes fighting for their playoff lives, the closest sniff they've had since the teamrelocated from Atlanta four years ago.

Being a season ticket holder from the start,and having attended the bulk of the home games over that four-year period,

I havean emotional investment. I read all the articles. I wear a Blake Wheeler jersey. I haveJets golf club covers. We have Jets license plates.

That the Jets lost this pivotal game wasn't my takeaway at the end of the evening.Nor was it the linesmen who became entangled with Toby Enstrom that led toChicago's tying goal or their heartbreaking game winning goal with a mere thirtyseconds left.

The focus of the game, for me, was a fan sitting in section 109.

From myseatin 113 you can't recognize faces in that section but you could clearly see hewas wearing a Chicago jersey. I don't like it when paying customers wear opposingteam's jerseys in our barn, but I respect their right to do so (the offensive nature ofthe Chicago team name and jersey not withstanding).

But this fan took it one stepfurther. He was wearing a feathered headdress a war bonnet.

As soon as I eyes laid on it I got that sick feeling in my stomach that I've hadcountless time in my life. "You gotta be f******g me," I muttered. I shook my headand listened to the remarks of the people around us. Even among the non-indigenous, season ticket holders there was disbelief and a sense of empathy. Theyunderstood how we felt. I guess Winnipeg's attempt at changing its racist image hasbeen taking hold.

Perpetuation of stereotypes

Pictures were taken, more remarks made and then I tried to focus on the game. Anemotional investment is one thing, the financial investment is another and bedamned if I was going to let this guy be a distraction. But he was and he remained sothroughout the game and beyond.

As it turns out I wasn't the only one distracted. Other indigenous people at the gamewere as irate as I was and during the first intermission they tracked the guy downand spoke to him. It turns out it was his birthday and his sister put him up towearing the headdress as a joke.

By wearing theheaddress the guy told every non-indigenous person on Turtle Island and beyondthat it was OKto do this.- Jordan Wheeler, writer and Jets fan

And oh yeah, the guy is First Nations.

That fact floored me. It's one thing for non-indigenous people to don headgearwithout knowing the context, history or sacred aspect of the headdress. It's anotherfor one of our own to do it. I've always been quick to ask restaurant and bar staffersto remove their hats with the NFL's Washington team logoon them because I foundit offensive. And they always have and with respect. To a person they have alwaysresponded the same way. "I never thought about it."

This guy didn't have that excuse.

We found out he's an Operations Manager of an Indigenous owned casino inSaskatchewan. He was quick to point out a connection to a vice chief with theFederation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (about time for that organization to change their name). As it turns out the vice chief is his sister. Suffice to say I felt aperson in his position should know better. It was a joke gone bad.

Controversy continues

I've been privy to news stories that involve retailer H & M removing fauxheaddresses from their shelves, of A Tribe Called Red asking their fans not to wearthem at their shows, music festivals banning them. It's an issue that rears its headevery Halloween and the argument remains the same. The headdress is a sacredpiece of regalia and wearing one is an honour few people achieve. When they do, itinvolves sacred ceremony.

This guy isn't a chief and based on the beer in his hand when the televisionbroadcast cut to him during the game, he isn't a medicine person either. He hasn'tearned the right. And he was cognizant of that when he pointed out that hisheaddress didn't have real eagle feathers. But it doesn't matter. Damage has beendone.

'An indigenous person wearing a headdress at a sporting event does not helpthe argument that offensive team names should be changed.'- Jordan Wheeler, writer and Jets fan

The Jets lost and in the aftermath, grumpy about the score and irate about theheaddress, I did one of the things I do best. I took to social media.By wearing theheaddress the guy told every non-indigenous person on Turtle Island and beyondthat it was OKto do this. Indigenous people perpetuating stereotypes are just asbad as non-indigenous people who do it. It's the proverbial arrow in the back to allmembers of our community who work hard for change.

The vast majority of the respondents on social media agreed with me. A few didn'tsuggesting that we have biggerissues to deal with than someone wearing aheaddress to a hockey game. And we do, but the sum of the partsmake up thewhole. An indigenous person wearing a headdress at a sporting event does not helpthe argument that offensive team names should be changed.

You expect thisbehaviour from non-indigenous people at tailgate parties in Washington, at baseballgames in Cleveland and Atlanta. But for an indigenous person to do this in a cityrecently proclaimed the most racist in Canada?

What a joke.