Students from public, reserve schools compete at Anishinabe Chess Invitational
Kenora’s Sakatcheway Anishinabe School is celebrating the success of its third annual Anishinabe Chess Invitational tournament.
Forty-five students from nine public and reserve schools across Northwestern Ontario gathered to compete, ranging in age from 10 to 20. Matches were held across junior, intermediate and senior divisions.
“[The students] were really stressed and on edge because it’s a tournament and it’s highly competitive,” said Sasha Sadrudin, teacher at Sakatcheway and organizer of the tournament. “I would attune it to the same thing that athletes feel right before a tournament. There’s an eagerness to compete.”
The tournament was held from Thursday to Friday. It was hosted by the Seven Generations Education Institute, who provided the chess tables as well as breakfast and lunch for competitors. Grand Council Treaty #3 secured hotel rooms for families that travelled from out of town.
Representatives from the Kenora Chiefs Advisory, Lake of the Woods Hospital Mental Health Unit and the Kenora Sexual Assault Centre set up booths during the event to share valuable health information with attendees.
“A lot of tournaments in northwestern Ontario have historically been athletic tournaments. From what I know, there’s never cerebral-style clubs like chess or robotics or public speaking. I’ve been playing chess at our school club for years, and my students said, ‘wait, we want to play other kids.’ I put the idea to Grand Council, and they said absolutely,” Sadrudin said.
Sadrudin said an Anishinabe public speaking competition is in the works to help students develop interpersonal skills and self-confidence.
“[This tournament] resulted in a lot of intense, competitive play, but at the same time, very good comraderie that was built between the students and even the coaches,” he said.
The Lake of the Woods Hospital Mental Health Unit provided 130 stress balls for competitors. Sadrudin said they needed another shipment by the second day of competition.
“The kids were definitely on edge, but they played fabulously.”
Participating schools are listed below, per Sasha Sadrudin:
- Sakatcheway Anishinabe School, Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation)
- Pegamigaaboo School, Mishkosiminiziibiing First Nation (Big Grassy First Nation)
- Gaagagekiizhik Elementary School, Kenora
- Bimose High School, Kenora
- Keewatin Public School, Kenora
- K’aa N’aa Matay Wiigiam, The Teaching Lodge School, Obashkaandagaang First Nation (Washagamis Bay)
- Bever Brae Intermediate School, Kenora
- Bever Brae High School, Kenora
- Mizhakiiwetung Memorial School, Wabaseemoong First Nation (White Dog First Nation)
