BEHCHOKO/RAE-EDZO
There was no prize money for three teams from the Deh Cho who competed in the ninth annual Aboriginal Men's Handgames Tournament in Behchoko, but their captains don't seem to mind too much.

Participant Eric Gargan met tough competition at the recent handgames tournament in Behchoko. - NNSL file photo

Two teams from Wrigley and one from Fort Providence were among the 42 teams from across the NWT and Alberta who competed for the prize money awarded to the top eight teams from March 14 to 16. Although the teams go to compete, the tournament is also a very social event.

"You see all your friends and all your cousins and all the people you battle against," said Jarrett Moses.

Moses captained one of the teams from Wrigley. The team played four games, winning two on March 14 and losing two on March 15, all against teams from Behchoko.

"Everybody was just rocking," Moses said.

Moses said that the team's first two games weren't easy and went long, about an hour-and-a-half each. On the second day the Wrigley team didn't go easily and played games that lasted just as long although they eventually lost both.

"We just gave them a struggle," he said.

This was Moses' fourth year competing in Behchoko. Last year, his team played nine games and came in second. This year, his team was comprised entirely of relatives including his dad Lloyd Moses, brother Napem Moses, uncle Darcy E. Moses and cousins Brandon Baton, Kenneth Baton, Michael Pellissey, Joseph Neyelle and Jesse Clillie.

After his team lost their last game, Moses drummed for friends who were still playing. The event is a good opportunity to catch up with your family and friends, he said.

"The Tlicho people put on a real good tournament," Moses said.

The other Wrigley team, captained by Darwin Norwegian, also played four games, winning one and then losing one on both March 14 and 15.

Norwegian, who's been to all nine of the tournaments in Behchoko, said he thought this was the best one yet.

Norwegian said he particularly likes to see all the elders who come to the tournament.

"They are awesome to watch play handgames,"

he said.

The Fort Providence team had less luck. The team, captained by Eric Gargan, lost both of their games, which knocked them out of both the A and B sides.

"They were too good," Gargan said, about the competition.

The Fort Providence team played the Behchoko team, captained by Chief Clifford Daniels, on the first day of the tournament.

Daniels' team went on to finish in the top eight. The second game was against a team from the K'atlodeeche First Nation.

"It was close," Gargan said about the two games.

Gargan said he enjoyed the tournament and so did the team's three teenage players Jeff Canadien, Rick Lesage and Rocky Gargan.

Gargan said he always looks forward to the social aspects of the tournament, including seeing old friends and playing against people he's met before.

"It's good to see a lot of people from south and up north," he said.

This year's participants came from across the NWT including Fort Smith, Norman Wells and Lutsel K'e and also from communities in Alberta including Bushe River and Driftpile.

The strongest representation came from the Tlicho with between 10 to 12 teams from Behchoko alone, said Sherri Zoe, a finance manager with the Tlicho government, who helped do registration for the tournament.

"It was a good weekend," she said.

"Nice and exciting."

First place and $20,000 went to the Whati team led by Louie Wedawin.

Whati also took second place with George Nitsiza's team.

The fifth place team from Gameti led by Brenden Bekale was exciting to watch, said Zoe. Most of the team members were young.

"They got the crowd's attention," she said.