Team Indigenous takes message to Roller Derby World Cup

You might not expect to get a dose of activism along with your roller derby, but that's what happened at the Roller Derby World Cup in Manchester, England last weekend.

Wikwemkong community member Jen Bennett and her fellow skaters on Team Indigenous found the event to be the perfect spot to fulfiltheir mission: to educate people about colonization, sovereignty and self-determination.

Bennet says the idea for the teamcame to her after she had skated with Team Canada where she was the only Indigenous woman.

On top of that, she was inspired by a Navajo skater named Mick Swagger with Team USA.

Swagger asked to fly her community's flag at bouts, but was denied by the coach.

That's when Bennetsays the formation of Team Indigenous got seriously underway.

Finally formed and ready to roll at the Roller Derby World Cup, the entire team of women from Indigenous communities across the world stood in their regalia, held their flags, and spread their message.

During the live feed of the opening ceremonies, instead of singing an anthem, they read their mission statement about the impact of colonialism on Indigenous people.

"We are a part of and we are not a part of the nations that are colonizing us and we wanted to bring recognition to that and recognition to the fact that we're still here and we're strong," Bennetsays. "And we love this sport."

That message was also broadcast on the live feed between their bouts. The Australian team also asked them to come back and read their mission statement again.

"It was a really powerful moment, we had a standing ovation, a moment of silence and it was incredibly powerful to have that kind of support from our peers." she says.

Bennett chose the derby name of Windigo who is a demon spirit that consumes humans.

She says it's a name of terror among her people, but her competitors may not know what it means, and that's okay with her.

Part of the proceeds given to the team will go to the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.