FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron recalled his interactions with Fred Sasakamoose during Sasakamoose's funeral service at centre ice of the Fred Sasakamoose Arena at the Ahtahkakoop First Nation. Screengrab from the Facebook live stream from the Fred Sasakamoose "Chief Thunderstick" National Hockey Championship page.

By Jeff D'Andrea

Remembering Chief Thunderstick

Fred Sasakamoose described as selfless and generous for final farewell

Dec 6, 2020 | 10:42 AM

Well before he became FSIN Chief, a seven-year-old Bobby Cameron was in Spiritwood with his parents. He saw Fred Sasakamoose giving away fish from the trunk of his vehicle, and he did the same to Cameron’s parents.

Cameron turned to his parents after and asked why Sasakamoose was just handing out fish to his father and everybody else that came.

“Because he wanted you to eat,” was his mother’s response, Cameron recalled during Sasakamoose’s funeral service on Saturday, live-streamed from the Ahtahkakoop First Nation. “That’s the kind of guy he was. He was a mighty fine man.”

Generosity and selflessness were themes of the speakers that talked about Sasakamoose. His son Neil said it was an important lesson he learned from his father, albeit one that angered Neil.

Fred would take his sons’ hockey equipment and give it to other kids, to the point when Neil said he “despised” Fred before the two made amends of it in a discussion around three years ago.

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“You imagine that? You grow up with a house full of boys and girls and you can’t go play and you can’t use your equipment,” Neil said. “But that’s what he was teaching us, I guess, is put yourself second.”

Athahkakoop Chief Larry Ahenakew spoke about Fred Sasakamoose. (Screengrab from the Facebook live stream from the Fred Sasakamoose “Chief Thunderstick” National Hockey Championship page.)

Ahtahkakoop First Nation Chief Larry Ahenakew said that Fred would take him to just about every big NHL or hockey event that Fred was invited to. And in those events, Fred would put the hockey world before himself. Ahenakew said Fred could have charged thousands of dollars for those appearances, but all he ever asked for were expenses to be made for trips.

“He never asked for much. A room, a flight, meals, right? That’s all he asked for. He never asked for $5-10 thousand contract, never…that’s why he was generous to the hockey world,” Ahenakew said. “That’s what I put out there, he’s generous. We took his time away from his family, but he lived a lot of good years with them.”

The service also featured a video tribute, featuring Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, as well as Brandon Montour, John Chabot, Blair Atcheynum, Gino Odjick, Chico Resch, Dwight and D.J. King, Reggie Leach, Scott and Sydney Daniels, Bryan Trottier, chiefs from First Nations across the province and family members.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW