CHIEFS AND CHAMPIONS (6 PART SERIES)
Chiefs and Champions takes an intimate look at aboriginal athletes from Canada
and other parts of North America, who, besides being world class performers
in their chosen sport, have become so much more. Many of these heroes have
gone on to become important leaders in their communities and countries, role
models and advocates, on international levels.
From the great Odondaga athlete, Tom Longboat, regarded
as the world’s best distance runner who at the age of 19, in 1907, held the
world’s record for theBoston Marathon to Salish boxing champion, Chief Roger Adolph, who in the1960’s
held numerous and simultaneous bantamweight titles, both in the US and Canada.
This Chief of the Lillooet, for the past 17 years,
has paved the way in landrights negotiations and
now fights for the rights of his people. Our series also profiles Olympic
medalist Alwyn Morris, the Mohawk from Kahnawake,
who won Gold and Bronze in kayaking at the 1984 Olympics in Los
Angeles. Now a member of his Band Council,
he is an advocate and activist. He was on the frontlines at Oka protecting the traditional
territories of his ancestral home. His voice of victory plus hard work helped
to establish the prestigious North American Indigenous Games.
As we retrace our ‘heroes’ past accomplishments and define what drives them
into the future, we will clearly be able to identity with their personal journeys
and the universal struggle to greatness. For many the perseverance through
adversity has only made them stronger. Where is the Native North American
athlete in relationship to the global sporting arena? Through personal interviews,
archive footage, re-enactment, photos and narration, we will learn what it
takes, both on and off the field of sport, to bring the torch of victory and
humility back home to the community. Through compelling interviews with family
members and peers, Chiefs and Champions will not only reflect the history
and heartbreaks of our dedicated athlete, but will pay tribute and celebrate
their relentless perseverance and spiritual dedication.
As we get to know them, up close and personal, we will begin to understand
that the inner strength and resolve necessary to achieve these goals didn’t
stop on the field. They have gained much more than just athletic success and
respect. They are undeniably Chiefs and Champions.
