Participants in Ahtahkakoop First Nation's Sobriety Walk also paid tribute to the late Fred Sasakamoose on Friday. (Jeff D'Andrea/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D'Andrea

Walk for Sobriety and Sasakamoose

Ahtahkakoop’s Sobriety Walk pays tribute to late Fred Sasakamoose

Nov 27, 2020 | 5:47 PM

Friday’s walk at Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation was meant to be a Sobriety Walk to mark National Addictions Awareness month. But it turned out to be a lot more than that.

It also served as a tribute to the late Fred Sasakamoose, the Indigenous hockey pioneer and pride of Ahtahkakoop, who passed away from COVID-19 on Tuesday.

Fred’s grandson Landon Sasakamoose was one of the leaders of the walk. All the participants wore hockey jerseys as a tribute to Fred. Landon wore a Team Canada jersey with Fred’s old No. 21 and a Sasakamoose name bar, and it was a big day to have the walk also serve as a tribute to his grandfather.

“It means a lot to me and my family. My grandpa was my best friend—I’m sorry. I’m kind of at a loss for words right now,” Sasakamoose. “It’s emotional for me today.”

Landon said that his relationship with Fred was quite close, especially in the last four years. After Landon’s father Elgin “Chucky” Sasakamoose died in a murder-suicide four years ago, Landon turned to Fred for support.

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“I lost my dad four years ago. My dad was Fred’s firstborn son. And after I lost him, I went to my grandpa and I did everything with my grandpa,” Landon said. “I cut wood with him, I drove him to the casino, I drove him wherever he needed to be with meetings and stuff. He even let me wear some of his NHL rings at meetings. I did a lot with him.”

Since Tuesday afternoon when news broke of Fred’s passing at the Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert, sympathies, tributes and best wishes have poured in from all over Canada.

“We’ve received a lot of condolences, especially from the Prime Minister [Justin Trudeau], from Chief Bobby Cameron from FSIN, AFN Chief Perry Bellegarde, and just everyone on this reserve and all over Canada. We’re just very thankful for that,” Landon said.

Participants in Ahtahkakoop First Nation’s Sobriety Walk also paid tribute to the late Fred Sasakamoose on Friday. (Jeff D’Andrea/paNOW Staff)

Different kind of walk this year

Mental health therapist Cindy Laliberte-Tootoosis, who helped organize the event along with the rest of the mental health team at Ahtahkakoop, said the ongoing pandemic put a damper on the numbers on the walk this year.

But given the circumstances, Laliberte-Tootoosis was pleased with how it was supported.

“We’re very grateful that they did show up and we appreciate their effort,” Laliberte-Tootoosis said. “We were blessed today with good weather and we’re happy. We’re content with the turnout.”

The Sobriety Walk usually runs each year, to celebrate those that have won their battles with drugs and alcohol.

“That’s our goal is raising awareness and having people who have made that change in their life, it’s a way of supporting them and encouraging them,” Laliberte-Tootoosis said.

In the past three years, Laliberte-Tootoosis said there has been a spike in crystal methamphetamine use in Ahtahkakoop and many other First Nation communities across the province, due to how cheap and accessible the drug has become in recent years.

Ahtahkakoop has a harm reduction program at its health centre, which helps limit the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C by providing clean needles and pipes. Laliberte-Tootoosis also said they work with the local RCMP detachment and provide education and awareness within schools.

Participants in Ahtahkakoop First Nation’s Sobriety Walk also paid tribute to the late Fred Sasakamoose on Friday. Jeff D’Andrea/paNOW Staff

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Jeff.dandrea@jbpg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW