SASKATOON -- Edmonton Oilers defenceman Ethan Bear, who was born and raised on Ochapowace First Nation in Saskatchewan, received racist messages and comments on social media following the Oilers’ postseason loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night.
In a two-minute video posted to the Edmonton Oilers' social media, Bear said "I'm proud of where I come from."
"I'm not just doing this for myself. I'm doing this for all people of colour and for the next generation," he said.
Bear’s girlfriend wrote in a Facebook post: "To hide behind a screen is cowardly. But to use stereotypes against him as an Indigenous person is dehumanizing and awful!"
Neil Sasakamoose, son of the first Indigenous NHL player Fred Sasakamoose, said it’s disheartening to see Bear face the same kind of vitriol that his dad did when he played for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1953.
“I feel really sad for Ethan Bear,” he said. “My dad went through that as an individual, and my dad always said that you get to the lowest low on yourself when people beat you down.”
“There's a lot of us cheering for him. I hope he sees it, I hope he feels all the love from across Canada. I really hope he feels it, and just strengthens his legs and gets him back standing up tall and proud, for all of us here.”
“It’s totally unacceptable, and it’s disgusting,” said Oilers’ general manager Ken Holland on Wednesday morning.
“Ethan’s an unbelievable young man. He’s a tremendous role model for all young athletes, especially the Indigenous community.”
In a statement, the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations said it’s appalled with the racist and discriminatory comments made towards Bear, and are concerned with the lack of response by the Edmonton Oilers organization for not responding to this critical issue.
In a FSIN statement, Vice-Chief Heather Bear said the “blatantly racist comments being posted on social media this week are disgusting and these individuals must take responsibility for the harm they are causing the sport and the First Nations community.”
The statement also reads the FSIN executive is “calling on the Edmonton Oilers hockey organization and the National Hockey League to stand up to the disgusting and horrific racist comments that are being posted on social media pages.”
Sasakamoose says Bear called him when his dad passed away last November, letting him know how much he meant to Indigenous people.
He knows what his dad Fred would say to Ethan to help him rise above the hatred.
“Don't let it get inside you,” he said. “You're a hockey player. You're there because of your skills. It's going to take time for you to develop into this player in that National Hockey League, it's going to take you time to go through that.
“But don't quit. Keep going. Don't let those people get you down.”
