A youth hockey program based on the Tsuut'ina Nation near Calgary is expanding to serve Indigenous children across four First Nations communities in southern Alberta, breaking down barriers to participation in the sport. The program, called "Sticks Together," has operated on Tsuut'ina since 2022 and will now extend to the Siksika, Piikani, and Stoney Nakoda nations beginning in the fall of 2026.
Program founder and Tsuut'ina community member Kyle Crowchild said the expansion has been a long-held goal. "Hockey is Canada's game, but for a lot of Indigenous kids, the cost of equipment, registration, and travel makes it impossible to play," Crowchild said. "We started Sticks Together to change that, and now we have the support to bring it to more communities."
Breaking Down Barriers
The program provides free equipment, coaching, and ice time to children aged 5-14. It currently serves approximately 120 young players on Tsuut'ina and expects to reach 300 participants across all four communities by the 2027 season. Funding for the expansion comes from a $1.2-million grant from the federal government's Sport for Social Development program, supplemented by contributions from Hockey Canada, the Calgary Flames Foundation, and several corporate sponsors.
Beyond hockey skills, Sticks Together integrates cultural programming into its activities, including sessions on traditional games, language learning, and land-based education. Elder Margaret Big Plume, who serves as a cultural advisor to the program, said the integration of culture and sport is essential. "Our children need to see themselves in everything they do," Big Plume said. "When they put on that jersey, they carry their identity with them onto the ice."
A Model for the Country
Hockey Canada's vice-president of development, Sarah Lawson, said Sticks Together has become a national model for Indigenous sport programming. "What Kyle and his team have built is extraordinary — not just in terms of hockey development, but in terms of community building and cultural pride," Lawson said. "We want to see this model replicated across the country."
Registration for the expanded program will open in June 2026. Families in the Siksika, Piikani, and Stoney Nakoda communities can contact their band recreation offices for more information. Crowchild said he hopes the program will eventually serve every First Nation in Treaty 7. "Every kid deserves the chance to play," he said. "That's what this is about."