Eel River Bar family wears pieces of Indigenous culture to watch PWHL hero in Montreal

When Katie Miller’s daughter Octavia wanted to play hockey this year, she dove in right away, playing in tournaments and trying out different positions, including goalie. 

Six-year-old Octavia’s interest prompted the family, from Eel River Bar First Nation also known as Ugpi’ganjig, to get more into the sport.

And Miller wanted both her daughters, Octavia and Pyper, to experience a professional game.

“I thought if we were going to go see any type of a professional game, I’d rather go see the women play to show my daughter, you know, this is what dreams can be, like, dreams can come true if you really work hard for it,” Miller said.

The family attended a regular season Professional Women’s Hockey League game between the Montréal Victoire and the Boston Fleet. Both teams have since secured spots in the PWHL playoffs.

Miller got in touch with her aunt, Patty Miller, and the two started planning the trip — organizing tickets and hotels and saving money.

Then Katie Miller had an idea. She decided to make ribbon sweaters, inspired by traditional Indigenous ribbon skirts, for the whole family to wear to the game. 

It was a nod to the family’s Indigenous culture and also a shoutout to their favourite player, Abby Roque, the first Indigenous player to be signed to the U.S. women’s national team and now a forward with the Victoire.

Katie’s sweater has Roque’s name sewn on the back with ribbon.

“I enjoy sometimes sitting down and challenging myself to something new,” Miller said. “The hoodies are not typically cultural, but a way to, you know, formulate the two worlds together and, you know, we keep our Indigenous pride, but yet it’s still more of the modern times style.”

For Patty, it was her first time attending a hockey game of any kind.

But she said her experience would inspire her to go to another game. The family was seated right behind the Boston Fleet bench.

WATCH | ‘Dreams can come true if you really work hard for it’:

Eel River Bar family take in first PWHL game

After six-year-old Octavia began playing hockey, Katie Miller took her and a second daughter to Montreal for their first PWHL game — bringing along handmade ribbon sweaters, inspired by Indigenous ribbon skirts.

“[It] didn’t matter what team we were sitting with, both sides were cheering for both sides,” Patty said.

“I don’t want to call it a party atmosphere, but it was just so alive and pumped up and, not knowing anything about hockey, the hockey was phenomenal.”

Before heading to the game, Katie had posted photos of the ribbon sweaters online, and attracted some attention from others who were going to be at the same game.

She said a woman told them that she’d be watching for their sweaters at the game and even had an Abby Roque PWHL card for Octavia’s collection.

When they got to the game, the woman gave the family an entire booklet filled with PWHL hockey cards.

Another woman met up with them to give them a home opener towel and exclusive Barbie and PWHL belt bag.

For Patty, she was just happy to get to spend some time with her niece and grandnieces, “creating a kind of memory — a first memory — for all of us, being at a professional hockey game.”