New middle school novel opens discussion to racism in the hockey culture

As Hockey Canada and hockey culture continue to come under scrutiny, David A. Robertson’s newest middle school novel, The Kodiaks: Home Ice Advantage, tackles the ugly experience of racism at the minor hockey level.

“If we say that it's not there then how are we ever going to make it better,” said Robertson, who is a two-time winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award.

“That's why some of the stuff in the book is on the nose. Sometimes you need to be right there in front saying, ‘This is a thing and this is happening and so what are we going to do about it?’ And hopefully this book offers some answers.”

The Kodiaks tells the story of Alex “Robby” Robinson, age 11. Alex has to leave his home of Norway House Cree Nation in northern Manitoba because his father has a new job in Winnipeg. In Norway House, Alex was a star player on his hockey team. Now, he has to try out for a new team in his part of the city.

His first day on the ice, Alex learns quickly that he has more to stick handle with his newly-gifted Warrior hockey stick than just the puck. He finds himself struggling with his Indigeneity, both in the rink and in his new school, and little triumphs aren’t quite enough for him. When he gets suspended during a pivotal time in the season, it’s the support of his family, new friends and teammates, and his Cree community that make Alex hopeful.

While Robertson only played house league hockey, he has three children in the sport. His older son Cole started playing when he was four and is now 18 and playing in Texas.

“Ever since, pretty much, I've been a published author I've been at the hockey rink,” said Robertson. “I can't even count how many pages, how many books I've written, how many books I've edited while I've been at the rink with Cole practicing. It’s been a wild ride.”

Robertson admits he’s a loud cheerer in the stands. He’s also seen parents who are abrasive and mean-spirited with “awful, awful behaviour.”

“A lot of times, parents, especially in sports, can behave much worse than children,” he said, “and sometimes they do need that intervention.”

Alex not only faces belligerent parents (who the referee has to warn), but he also faces uneducated teammates, opponents and even his own coach has to be taken to task.

And it’s Alex, not his parents, who calls out his coach, a move Robertson was deliberate in making.

“I didn't want parents coming in to fight the battles for their kids. Sometimes that's needed for sure, but I think that kids need to understand that they have the power and the agency in their own lives to stand up for themselves,” he said.

“Sometimes you just need to find that courage within yourself to do that.”

In Alex’s case, his talk with his coach goes well and Alex ends up educating his coach about the phrase “low man on the totem pole.” People tend to use the phrase to describe someone less than the rest, but Alex explains what his mother told him, that “crest animals at the bottom aren’t less important than the ones at the top.”

There are also moments of violence and threatened violence, something Robertson points out that teenagers are prone to do, especially when talking doesn’t result in change.

“The answer isn’t violence at all,” said Robertson. “I want kids when they read this to think about the ways in which they can respond to situations like this. And that they exist, that things like this do happen. If anything, I want kids to maybe feel empowered to be able to deal with situations in a good way.”

Robertson points out that sometimes poor behaviour on the part of parents comes from lack of knowledge and bias, which often is passed down to the children.

“The whole book is, I think, balancing this reality of the problems in hockey culture with the beauty of the game and all the beauty that comes from a sport that I've seen in my son's life. Like the camaraderie, the commitment, the discipline, the love, the joy, all that stuff. We can't ruin that for kids and we definitely get to the point where I think at times we do,” said Robertson.

Before Alex leaves Norway House, his friend and former teammate George gives him the gift of a Warrior-brand hockey stick.

“In a lot of ways the stick is…symbolic in the book. It's Alex learning how to be a warrior. He needs the stick at first and then the stick becomes a reminder of the warrior inside himself, and I think that for me, being a warrior is being able to fight for yourself and for other people. I think that's a really beautiful concept,” said Robertson.

As important as the stick is for Alex, even more important is the continued support he receives from his community of Norway House. Alex draws strength from George in their nightly chats and George and his father make the trip to Winnipeg to watch Alex play.

“The relationship between Alex and George, I wanted to…show that the bonds that we have with community don't break. I wanted to use them as a conduit, I guess, in a way to articulate how important those bonds are with community. That when we leave community the community is still with us,” said Robertson.

One other important lesson Alex learns is that he is responsible for his own actions and not anyone else’s actions.

“For Alex, he has to come to the point where he feels strong and solid in his own identity for him, and not because somebody maybe tells him that it's okay to be him or somebody tells him that it's not okay to be him. None of that is on him. Nobody's behaviour is on him,” said Robertson.

But Robertson is also adamant that there are times when kids and adults need to speak up and only in that speaking up will the hyper-masculine culture of hockey change.

Hockey Canada has come under fire predominantly lately for its misogyny, but Robertson points out that “we'd be fooling ourselves to say” racism, homophobia and transphobia are not also issues.

“I think it is a conversation about what does masculinity mean…what should masculinity mean? To me being a man is showing love and respect for other people and being a gentleman. That's being a man. I want to change that conversation. I think we do need to look at the culture of hockey and look at how we can change the conversation by being better ourselves,” said Robertson.

The Kodiaks: Home Ice Advantage, published by HighWater Press, will be available in April. It can be pre-ordered at https://www.portageandmainpress.com/Books/T/The-Kodiaks.