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Arthur Obey

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Arthur Obey and the Lebret Indians are well known names in hockey in Saskatchewan. While Coach of the Lebret Indians, they dominated amateur hockey for five years.[1] He was a participant in multiple sports and twice received the Longboat award (1951, 1960). He went on to work in sports and recreation at various locations in Saskatchewan, including initiating the Indian Summer Games in that province.[2] He is considered a "builder and leader in recreation and sport development for Aboriginal people."[3]

Early Years

Arthur Obey (1931-1988) was born November 25 in 1931[3][1] or 1932[4] on Piapot First Nation[3][1] or in Fort Qu'Appelle.[4]

His parents were Mr. and Mrs. George Obey of the Sioux and of the Saulteaux First Nation, respectively.[4]

Art Obey attended Lebret Industrial School also known as Qu'Appelle Indian Residential School, Lebret Indian School, or locally as Indian School, located on the outskirts of Lebret, Saskatchewan in the 1940s. The school was run by the Oblates (in charge of the boys)[4] with the assistance of the Grey Nuns (girls).[5] St. Paul's High School later opened at the Indian School in 1948.[5]

Education

In his early years as a student, Obey spent half day in the fields learning farming techniques and a half day in class. Zeman et al. also report that the first native high school and sports were introduced in 1948 by Father Paul Piechet. "Every boy in that original 1948 high school class...were all members of the hockey team," including Obey.[1] In contrast, Sister Marcoux reports that Mr. Ed Doll started building the juvenile hockey team in 1946.[5] "The Qu’Appelle team sweater was patterned after those of the Montreal Canadiens, with the exception that an “Indian head” replaced the traditional ch logo that the Canadiens wore on the front of their jerseys."[6] Official sources such as the Saskatchewan Hockey Association refer to the hockey team as the Lebret Indians, though other sources occasionally referred to throughout this entry may use Lebret pucksters or the Lebret Eagles.

Art Obey played hockey and baseball[6] and was a "short distance runner"[4] while at the school. "He is well known for his baseball exploits in Southern Saskatchewan and was a top notch pitcher for such clubs as Notre Dame of Wilcox, Fort Qu'Appelle and periodically the Lebret Indians."[7][8] A photo of the 1949 Lebret baseball team including Art Obey, part of an article originally published in the Prairie Messenger, was reprinted in The Indian Missionary Record in 1953.[9] While a student, "from May to October 1949 Obey played baseball at Notre Dame College"[1][4] on their team. In 1949 Thomas Desnomie and Art Obey co-wrote an article on vocational training at the Lebret Indian School.[10]

He also became involved in the Cadet Movement[4] with the Lebret School's Hugonard Cadet Corps formed in 1942[4] or 1944,[5] and associated with the Royal Canadian Army Cadets. Sister Marcoux reports that in 1946 Obey did the Cadet Course at Dundern, in 1950 he was elevated to rank of Cadet Major and in 1952 earned the Master Cadet Certificate. In 1950 he was co-instructor of the students. In May 1948 the group won the "Efficiency Trophy" and the "Challenge Cup" given to the best corps in the province. In 1950 they achieved a mark of 85% and won the Eastern Division Shield.[5]

Personal life

Obey married Yvonne Adams from Muscow [likely means Muscowpetung First Nation] near Fort Qu'Appelle in 1951 (or July 7, 1952[8]). They eventually had four children: 3 boys and a girl, Janet Ann Obey[4][11] and/or raised a total of nine children.[8] At the time the Zeman et al. interviewed Obey and their book was published (1983) Obey was reported to have been in Meadow Lake, Alberta.[1]

Career

One source states Obey became Sports Director at Lebret Industrial School in 1950.[4] Another, Zeman et al., interviewed Art Obey for the book Hockey Heritage and reports that Obey dropped out of high school in 1951 to enter the Recreation Leadership and Training Program in Red Deer, Alberta. He then became recreation director at Lebret as part of his in-service recreation program and went on to coach hockey successfully at Lebret until Indian Affairs phased out grades 11-12 in 1959. Obey reports it wiped out Junior "B" hockey at Lebret and that the league ended up folding. Zeman et al. state Junior "B" hockey didn't return until 1962. Obey left Lebret in 1962.[1]

As Coach, Athletics Director and sometimes player at Lebret,[7] the Lebret Indians won:

  • 1952: Qu'Appelle Valley Intermediate Hockey League, First Place[1][6] aka Q.V.H.A Champions with "Coach Arthur Obey, star centre player." See photo of winning team in the November 1952 issue of The Indian Missionary Record[12] and on page 42 of Sister Marcoux.[5]
  • Junior "B" Atholl Murray Trophy[13] as Junior "B" Champions in 1954-55 (entered Saskatchewan Amateur Hockey Association for first time),[1][5] 1955-56, 1956–57, 1957–58 and, 1958-59.[7][13]
  • Juvenile "B" Shield as Juvenile "B" Champions in 1956[4] (but not according to the Saskatchewan Hockey Association), 1957,[13] 1959 and, 1960.[4][7][13] See photo of 1959 Juvenile "B" Team and coaches in the April 1960 Indian Record.[14]
  • Juvenile "C" Al Pickard Trophy[13] as Juvenile "C" Champions[7] 1958.
  • Midget "C" Ken Price Trophy[13] as Midget "C" Champions,[7] 1958.
  • 1959: High School Mainline Hockey League Champions.[14]
  • 1959: Saskatchewan High School Athletic Association, "B" Basketball.[7]

He also coached the track and field team which "dominated many local meets from 1955 to 1960."[6]

Further:

  • 1954-1959: Balcarres Braves. Southern Saskatchewan Baseball League. Played as a pitcher.[4]
  • The Fort Qu'Appelle Sioux Indian hockey team, mostly Lebret graduates with Obey as coach and player, won the Intermediate "C" Champions in 1956-57.[7] 1958 Saskatchewan "C" Championship.[4]
  • Played on the Fort Qu'Appelle Sioux Indians baseball team, 1961[15] and 1962.[16]

Arthur Obey attended a two-week summer school for supervisory staff at residential schools in 1962.[17]

"Obey remained involved with sports at Qu’Appelle into the 1970s, when he served as the Qu’Appelle residence’s recreation director."[6]

After “15 years [as] Director of Recreation and Sports at the Lebret Indian residential School, Sask., [Obey was] appointed Executive Director of the new Indian and Metis Friendship Centre at North Battleford”[18] (p. 4), Obey went on to work at Friendship Centres for a few years before returning "to Piapot to be with his aging parents. By 1969 he was hired at the first full-time recreation director at Fort Qu'Appelle and was the minor hockey coordinator." [1] In 1971, Obey is reported as being the Provincial Recreation Director for Saskatchewan Recreation Program set up under the auspices of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indians (FSI) in Prince Albert.[19] A month later, the same newspaper notes he is a member of the Governing Committee of the first Western Canada Native Winter Games to be held April 7–9, 1972.[20] In 1974, he is recorded as being "recreation director at the Federation of Saskatchewan Indians' (FSI) new sports centre in Prince Albert in 1974, [and that] the Saskatchewan Indian Winter Games has become an annual event.[1]

"In 1974 Obey and Fred Sasakamoose...coached the Prince Albert bantam team to the northern final."[1][21] The Saskatchewan Indian Bantam Hockey Team then went on to play eight exhibition games in Holland and Finland, winning 6.[1][7][22]

Became Board member [n.d.] of Lebret Indian School at some point [recorded as a member in 1980[7]] which by 1980 was known as White Calf Collegiate.

In December 1980 he is recorded as being a "resource person" for the Saskatchewan Indian Recreation Directors training program as Art Obey of the F.S.I.[23]

According to the Saskatchewan First Nations Sports Hall of Fame, "Obey (1931-1988) was a builder and leader in recreation and sport development for Aboriginal people... [and his] major accomplishments include coaching the First Nations women's fastball team and in 1974 initiating the Saskatchewan Indian Summer Games. Obey followed that up with the inaugural Saskatchewan Indian Summer Games in 1988. For nearly two decades Obey worked as a recreational coordinator for various native and non-native organizations."[2]

Awards

Art Obey received the Tom Longboat Award twice. In 1951, the Regional (R) award at age 20 for Baseball and Hockey and[5] in 1960 the National (N) award at age 29 for Hockey and Baseball.[4][6][24]

Appreciation Award at SIWA Conference in 1980 on behalf of the First Canadians women's ball team to both Art Obey and Tony Cote.[4][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Zeman, B.; et al. "1955-59 Lebret Indians. In Hockey heritage: 88 Years of puck chasing in Saskatchewan". Retrieved 2017-10-27. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help); Explicit use of et al. in: |last2= (help)
  2. ^ a b "Athletes immortalized at new Sports Hall of Fame (Saskatchewan First Nations Hall of Fame)". Windspeaker. 12 September 1994. Retrieved November 1, 2017. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  3. ^ a b c "Athletes immortalized at new Sports Halls of Fame | Windspeaker - AMMSA". www.ammsa.com. 1994. Retrieved 2017-10-27. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Balcarres Free Lance (March 1961). "Art Obey Top Indian Athlete" (PDF). Indian Record. XXIV (III): 7.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Marcoux, Sister G. (1955). History of the Qu'Appelle Indian School, Lebret, Saskatchewan: In Fulfillment of the request by the Department of Education on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the Province of Saskatchewan. http://archives.algomau.ca/main/sites/default/files/2015-054_001_002_0.pdf: s.n. {{cite book}}: External link in |location= (help)CS1 maint: location (link)
  6. ^ a b c d e f Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2015). Canada's residential schools: the History, part 2, 1939 to 2000. Volume 1. The Final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 471. ISBN 9780773546516.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Sports Leaders Honoured: Arthur Obey And Tony Cote". Saskatchewan Indian. 10[2-3]: 5. February–March 1980.
  8. ^ a b c Saskatchewan Indian First Nations Sports Hall of Fame. "Prairie Gold: Sports heroes from Saskatchewan. Art Obey". Saskatoon Public Library. Retrieved November 1, 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  9. ^ Prairie Messenger (Oct. 1949) (October–November 1953). "Qu'Appelle Residential School shows constant progress" (PDF). The Indian Missionary Record. XVI[16]: 4.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Desnomies, Thomas ; et al. (August–September 1949). "Vocational training at the Lebret Indian School". The Indian Missionary Record. XI[n/a]: 4. {{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |first= (help)
  11. ^ "Janet Obey's Obituary on Leader-Post". Leader-Post. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  12. ^ "Lebret hockey players retain Coach Obey: Q.V.H.A. Champions 1952" (PDF). The Indian Missionary Record. XV[9]: 6. November 1952.
  13. ^ a b c d e f "Along Saskatchewan's Hockey Trail: Saskatchewan champions" (PDF). Saskatchewan Hockey Association. November 1, 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  14. ^ a b "Two day vocation seminar at St. Paul's High School" (PDF). Indian Record. XXIII[4]: 3. April 1960.
  15. ^ "1961 Southern League Game Reports". www.attheplate.com. Retrieved 2017-11-03.
  16. ^ "1962 Southern League Game Reports". www.attheplate.com. Retrieved 2017-11-03.
  17. ^ "Residential school course". The Indian News. October 1962. Retrieved November 2, 2017. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  18. ^ "Heads Friendship Centre" (PDF). Indian Record. XXVI[7]: 4. December 1963.
  19. ^ "Saskatchewan recreation body presents successful program". Kainai News. October 1, 1971. Retrieved November 1, 2017. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  20. ^ "First Native Winter Games to be held on Blood Reserve in April". Kainai News. November 15, 1971. Retrieved November 1, 2017. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  21. ^ "Legends live on". Saskatchewan Indian. 23[6]: 11. July–August 1994.
  22. ^ "Hockey Day in Saskatchewan". Saskatoon StarPheonix. 15 December 2008. Retrieved November 1, 2017. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  23. ^ Ironstar, Martha (December 1980). "Sask. Indian Recreation Directors meet at Fort San". Saskatchewan Indian. 10[12]: 44.
  24. ^ Forsyth, J.M. (2005). The power to define: A history of the tom longboat awards, 1951–2001. A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global: University of Windsor.
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