'Our voices are being silenced': Athletes speak out about media ban at All Native Basketball Tournament

First Nations basketballplayers say they feel silenced after learning most media outlets are banned from covering the long-running AllNative Basketball Tournament in Prince Rupert, B.C., followingcritical news coverage of the games.

"It's really unfortunate to seehow our voices are currently being silenced," said Vanessa Parnell who is Tsimshian, Haida and Nisga'a and plays in the tournamentfor the All My Relations team.

"Thisisn't the spirit of the tournament as far as I've ever known it, and I've played in this tournament since I was 18, so22 years," said Jerome Turner who plays for the Gitxsan Masters.

The All Native Basketball Tournament beganin 1960 in the North Coast communityof Prince Rupert and seesdozens of men and women's teams across British Columbia compete for a week in February.

Every tournament, CFNR, an Indigenous radio stationbased in Terrace,B.C., buys theexclusive broadcast rights tocover the games, while several other television, print and radio outlets are also allowed inside the venue to report on the games.

This year, however, the tournament's organizing committee chair Peter Haugen, who is non-Indigenous,told CBC producers and other station executivesthat they would no longer be allowed entrancebecause of past media coverage of political issues, such as teamsprotesting the committee's LNG sponsors.

In an email to CBC, Haugen said the tournament is being live streamed by themedia outlet that paid for the rights so there is no black-out.

While CFNR has always had exclusive rights, this is the first year other stations are barred access to theevent venue at the Prince Rupert Civic Centre.

Missed opportunity

Speakingwith CBC producers over the phone, Haugensaid he feared that the games are becoming too political.

He pointed to media coverage ofa Haitian-born basketball player who was adopted by a Heiltsuk family, but wasn't allowed to playin the tournament because of his lack of Indigenous blood.

Haugensaid suchnegative press was no longerwelcome.

He also said he may make a concession if he is able to review all scripts and online stories before they go to air or are published, something most media outlets forbid.

In a Facebook post following CBC's radio coverage of this story,committee memberswrotethat "sports reporters arewelcome."

Indigenous ball players in the tournament say all stories are important to tell, not just the positive ones.

"If we're really here to focus onshowcasing Indigenous culture, we need to understand the struggle that comes with that as well," Parnell said.

Other players feel that not allowing in local andnational broadcasters could be a missed opportunity for those whose talents may catchthe eyes of scouts.

"There are players that are good enough, like several players,good enough to play in theCCCA [Canadian Collegiate Basketball Association], if not the NBA[National Basketball Association] in this tournament and they deserve to have those lights shone on them," Turner said.

Right to free expression

While some players say they understand both sides, and see howbasketballshould be focusedon the game rather than politics, many also see the need for freedom of expression.

"You should have those fundamental rights and freedoms to act on your beliefsand your expression and have access to mediato be able to express yourself in any way possible," said Judy Carlick Pearson, who is Tsimshian and has played in the tournament for more than two decades.

She and Parnell say that while the All Native Basketball Tournament is about the sport, it is also a space for Indigenous people to gather and share ideas.

"There'speople saying, 'Well, you know,this isn't the platform to do it.' But if you have three thousand plus people in a venue, you know, there is no better time to do it," Carlick Pearson said.

The opening ceremony for the tournament isSunday, Feb. 9., at the Prince Rupert Civic Centre. It runs Feb. 10-16.