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BEHCHOKO/RAE EDZO
One of the four teams from the Deh Cho competing in the Canadian National Aboriginal Men's Handgames Championships made it into the top eight.

Forty teams from across the territory competed in the event in Behchoko between March 16 and 18.

Two teams from Wrigley and a team from both Fort Providence and Fort Simpson were among the contenders.

The Fort Simpson team captained by Jerry Antoine finished in sixth place.

"It was pretty exciting," Antoine said. "It was a really good experience for us as individual players and as a team."

The Fort Simpson team included Johnny Denethlon, Jim Antoine, Arnold Hope, Joseph Villeneuve Jr., elder Johnny Vital and youths Tim Gargan-LaCasse, Earl Moses and Gerald Norwegian. It was Gargan-LaCasse and Norwegian's first major handgames tournament.

The team played six games against teams from communities including Deline and Behchoko.

"We were lucky," said Antoine. "Things fell into place for us."

Antoine said during the tournament the younger players on the team learned drumming techniques they will be able to put to good use in Fort Simpson. Drumming is one of the aspects of handgames that needs to be enhanced in the community, he said.

Antoine said he hopes to continue the learning experience by holding a community handgames tournament in Fort Simpson in May.

Volunteers would learn how to organize a successful tournament like the one in Behchoko, he said. Antoine said the team was well looked after in Behchoko.

"It was like a home away from home," he said.

The team, captained by Jarret Moses from Wrigley, played the second most games out of the teams from the Deh Cho. The Moses team, including Lloyd Moses, Morris Moses, Josh Moses, Joey Moses, Craig Moses, Trent Moses, Tim Lennie and Freddie Lennie won its first three games but lost the last two.

Also from Wrigley, Darwin Norwegian's team played two games. The team lost first to Emile Liske from Dettah before losing again to George Mackenzie from Behchoko.

"It was fun," said Norwegian despite the losses.

The team members, who included Dwight Norwegian, David Moses, Brandon Moses, Kenneth Moses, Napem Moses, Lawrence Nayally, Derwin Clillie and Jamie Moses, spent the rest of the tournament drumming for the other Wrigley team as well as the other teams from the Deh Cho..

Norwegian said he's only missed one of the National Aboriginal Men's Handgames Championships since they've started.

"(I go) just to check it out and see some old friends and elders," he said.

Fort Providence also fielded a team for the tournament captained by Eddie Gargan.

The Fort Providence team won its first two games against teams from Deline before losing two games to teams from Behchoko.

"It was pretty good," Gargan said.

Gargan said he enjoys going to the tournament to see his old friends. The other members of the team included Ricky Gargan, Allan Farcy, Henry Sabourin, Walter Landry, Fabien Bonnetrouge, Stewart Nadli and Eric Gargan.

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