They Call Me Chief: Warriors on Ice

They Call Me Chief tells the fascinating stories of native athletes who overcame tremendous obstacles to star in the National Hockey League. From Fred Sasakamoose (Chief Running Deer on Skates), the first Indian to play in the NHL who overcame the abuse of Canada’s residential school system, to Reggie Leach (The Riverton Rifle) whose battle with the bottle kept him out of the Hockey Hall of Fame, They Call Me Chief chronicles the journeys of North America’s most famous warriors on ice as they battle racism, culture shock, isolation and other roadblocks to success. They Call Me Chief is essential reading not only for fans of Canada’s national game, but for anyone interested in North American culture and history. The book includes a foreword by CBC’s Don Cherry and favorable comments from Indian notables such as Phil Fontaine, Elijah Harper and Adam Beach. In this collection of very different stories about very different men, we can appreciate how human beings can be authors of their own stories. As in the case of Fred Sasakamoose, who takes a taxi 700 miles to get his wife in order to overcome his loneliness. Or when Bryan Trottier is forced to use his border collie as goalie to practice his shot because local children call him half-breed. And when Ted Nolan, NHL Coach of the Year, is blacklisted, his fans do tomahawk chop. Then there’s the story of Ron Delorme who was chased by rednecks in South Dakota after scouting UND Fighting Sioux because of a mascot issue. And in recognition of George Armstrong, who is the longest-serving captain in NHL history.