Behchok, N.W.T., handgames tournament has $150K in prizes. One former player says that's too much

A former handgames player from What, N.W.T., says it's time to rein in tournament cash prizes. He also wants to see more regulation and a rethink on the competition structure.

Dene handgames are based on traditions, and are equal parts sport and celebration. The games are popular among youth, and large tournaments with significant cash prizes have become the norm as organizers have sought to maintain the tradition and attract larger crowds and more players.

This year's tournament in Behchok, N.W.T.,will be giving out $150,000 in total prizes, and the tournament in Gameti, N.W.T., a few weeks later has $100,000 worth of prizes.

Shaun Moosenose, a former handgames player, says the cash prizes have become too big, and threaten to erode the cultural practice. Specifically, he sees teams selecting players based on who's the best rather than focusing on creating a space for where elders teach traditions to young people, and where players learn to be humble and respect the rules.

"The concern is just the amount of money that's being tossed around into the event itself or the games and a lot of people who used to love the games stopped attending just because of the way the players have been treating the referees, the spectators the whole entire thing about the game has changed," he said.

The Trailbreaker7:20Behchok's Hand Games tournament kicks off on Friday.

Teams from across the Northwest Territories will start pouring into Behchok for its annual Hand Games tournament. Nowadays, tournaments have hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes. That has at least one former player wondering whether money has become to important in hand games. 

Moosenose stopped competing in tournaments when he was a teenager because of the money, but since then the cash prizes have grown even more.

"You kind of lose the meaning of and love of the game when all you're thinking about is money, right?

"For me personally ... the love of the game and the handgame tournament itself should be kept traditional, as much as possible," he said.

Moosenose says he's spoken with other community members who have similar concerns, but who for various reasons, haven't voiced them publicly. When he posted about his concerns on social media, several others echoed his views in the comments section.

But, in that post, he also said he's grateful for how the Tlicho government has supported the games, which has included hiring people to help run them.

"I thank them for everything, they try to do their best for our people. Maybe the system in which we operate needs better direction or change, for the better of our people?" he wrote.

Competing with bingo

George McKenzie, a formerBehchok tournament organizer, a legendary player, anda former Tlicho grand chief,says he agrees it's time to reassess how prize money is factored into the games. However, he also says that some amount of prize money has been necessary to attract players and spectators.

Despite the tournament's current success, in its early days it was "shabby," McKenzie said. People were reluctant to come, opting for bingo nights instead.

"They would rather go and win the $2,000 jackpot bingo, than say [play handgames] for $5 to $10 all night," he said.

McKenzie disagrees that the meaning and tradition of handgames has been lost. But he feelsthat some of the culture around the games has had to change.

"If you don't adjust your culture, you can lose your culture," he said.

"[But with] tradition it you don't practice, it just automatically dies [it] can be weakened on you."

McKenzie said that when they first held the tournament he and others were passionate about organizing a cultural event by and for Indigenous people. This motivation continues to this day, he said, and influences many aspects of the tournament, including the billeting program for out-of-town players which connects Indigenous people from different communities.

There's also a commitment to feeding every spectator, not just the players. That food costs money, McKenzie said, and so that means fundraising.

However, McKenzie said he never dreamed the tournaments would become so big, and with so much money on the line.

"It's not supposed to be only for prize money, it's supposed to be for the love of the game."

Standardized rules

Moosenose said he'd like to see many smaller gatherings in smaller communities, leading up to one larger event at the end, with less prize money. As part of all of these events, he'd like to see a formal committee regulate all components of the games, with theability to disqualify or ban people that are intoxicated or otherwise act out of line.

"If one of your team members is intoxicated that person will be disqualified, or the whole team. This way the team will be responsible for one another just like any other sport right?"

He'd also like to see teams be required to include people of different ages, with elders and youth on the same team to carry on the teachings of the games.

McKenzie agrees that more standardized and evenly-applied rules and regulations are something to work toward.

"[The tournament] got too big on us, too fast. We got to look at the referees, we got to look at the handgame committees, they got to be strict with their decisions all this has to be looked at more carefully because money is involved," he said.