No repercussions after Indigenous children called 'savages' at hockey tournament, parents say

This article is the second in a four-part series called Racism in Hockey, which is looking at allegations of discrimination in the sport. It followsCBC's coverage last year of theFirst Nation Elites, an Indigenous hockey team that faced racismat atournament in Quebec.

Dre Wheesk loves hockey more than most things in life.

But after an incident at a tournament in Quebec last year, whereparents of an opposing team called out racist words and yelled at him and his teammates to go back where they came from, his mom wasworried.

"I felt sad for him," said Marissa Quachegan, from her home near Timmins, Ont.

"He loves hockey. They were taking that away from him ... I just felt like I wanted to cry."

Dre and his teammates were sevenand eight years old, playing Novice AAA hockey forFlamme OlympiqueHockey, an all-Indigenous spring and summer league hockey team.The organization brings together First Nation players at all levels of minor hockey from all over Quebec and Ontario to compete in spring and summer league tournaments.

He loves hockey. They were taking that away from him.-

At the Tournoi Rocket AAA tournament in Terrebonne, near Montreal, in April of 2018, Quachegan says parents were yellingat the players in French and were aggressive,waiting in the hallway as her son and his teammates came off the ice.

"They were shouting out 'savages,'" said Quachegan, who is from the Mattagami First Nation.

"My son had no idea what [those words]meant, why those words were even being used, because he was just so young."

According to several accounts, parents of the opposing teamwere yelling "kawish," a pejorative term used in some parts of Quebec as aninsult against Indigenous people.

Quachegan saidcoaches on the Flamme Olympique were also yelling and not trying to defusethe situation.

Two other parents and the Flamme Olympique coach, Donald Lucas, corroborated Quachegan's version of what happened.By all accounts, it was chaotic and deeply upsetting for everyone.

"I've never experienced that before," said another parent, Sam Scheck, who lives in Timmins and is from theWikwemikong First Nation on Manitoulin Island in Northern Ontario.

"I was in complete shock."

Scheck's son Sutton, who was 10 at the time, was playing for the Atom AAA Flamme Olympique team.

During one semi-final game, Sutton's team was beating their opponents by a large margin. The game ended and the yelling started, Scheck said.

I was in complete shock.- Sam Scheck, parent

"We are lined up on the blue line waiting for the three stars and the coaches just went off on us, yelling at us [and swearing]," he said.

According to Scheck and another parent, whowas behind the bench for the game,the opposing team was upset because they had been beaten so badly and because of how strong theFlamme Olympique players were.

All the parentswho spoke to CBCNews said theFlamme Olympiqueteams had to deal with questionable refereeing during the tournament.

"They tried everything to stack the cards against us," said Scheck. "We had tons and tons of penalties. We had two goals that were disallowed."

The Flamme Olympique team and their families ended up leaving by the back door of the arena and the police were called.

"Why should we go by the back door? We didn't do anything," saidLucas,the coach of the Flamme Olympique.

The Flamme Olympique Atom team came back later that day for the final and won the tournament.

Lucas saidhe verbally complained to the tournament organizers, but little was done. Hesaidit's up to tournament organizers and the associations above them to puta zero-tolerance policy in place and start kicking people out of tournaments.

"If there's a parent or a fan threatening people or calling them names, they should ban themfrom hockey and from the arena," said Lucas.

He saidhe won't bring any of his teams to Quebec tournaments next year, but will instead sign them up to playin Ontario.

One of the parents of a Flamme Olympiqueplayer saidshe received an email from organizers apologizing for what they went through, but says it didn't go far enough.

• Read Part 1 |Indigenous players subjected to racist taunts, discriminatory calls, say parents

'She said, he said'

Luc Monastesse owned the Tournoi Rocket AAAthe tournament where the events took placeuntil the end of the last season, when he says he sold it for health reasons.

He saidhe wasn't at the arena during the Terrebonne tournament and can't comment on what happened, but confirms thatcomplaints were made about "racist and hateful" comments that were made. Monastessealso confirms that police were called, and the situation was out of control.

We are with children and we expect you to behave.- Daniel Loiseau, president LEHQ

As for the rest, he saidit's "she said, he said" and there is little that could be done.

Flamme Olympique never filed a formal complaint with the association responsible for the Terrebonne tournament.

Though spring and summer league tournaments aren't overseen by Hockey Qubec, in February 2018 the organizationcame out with a guide to help associations deal with bad behaviour by parents in the stands, though it doesn't address racism.

Hockey Qubec also saidit will update its code of ethics to add specific language about racism at its annual general assembly beginning June 7.

'We expect you to behave'

Daniel Loiseau ispresident of the LEHQ, the spring and summer league association that the Tournoi Rocket AAA is governed by. He saidmaking the sport more welcoming for Indigenous people and minorities is a priority for him, and saidhe asked everyone in the LEHQ league to put up posters this year, making it clear there is zero-tolerance for any kind of abuse.

"For abuse toward the referees, other teams, organizers and everything," said Loiseau."We are with children and we expect you to behave."

At the same time,Loiseau saidhas never suspended a parent,fan or coachfor bad behaviour, but instead prefers to meet people individually and educate them.

None of the parents interviewed are back with the Flamme Olympique this season.

Dre's mom, Marissa Quachegan, saidon the ride home from the tournament last year her son asked all kinds of questions about what had happened.

"He was asking what the word 'savage'meant and he was kind of questioning himself as a Native."

She said her son isstrong and has moved on from the experience.

"I talked with my son. I just reminded him why they were there [at the tournament]," said Quachegan."He went and played hockey and they should never let anyonetake that away from him."

• Read Part1:Indigenous players subjected to racist taunts, discriminatory calls, say parents
• Read Part 3:Quebec sporting groups must have plans to tackle bullying, racism by 2020: minister
• Read Part 4:How Indigenous players and coaches are forging ahead in a positive way

The series will next look atwhat arenas can do to address racism in the hockey,and hear from Quebec's Jr. education minister.