Medicine Hat archers hit their mark bringing home gold from Indigenous Games

“I don’t know anybody who’s had a longer, more successful career in archery in 3D in Canada, being a six-time national champion and 14 provincial championships. I won the World Senior Games, North American Indigenous Games and these various things like that throughout the years,” he added.

“It’s been a great ride.”

The event was the first archery tournament that Preston had competed in.

David said he has been coaching her for a while, and she’s the kind of person who goes all in and tries really hard.

“She did the work. When I was coached when I was competing, I had some of the best coaches in Canada. One of the most important things I ever heard was if you do the work, you know what the work is, you do the work, you’ll be successful, you’ll get results,” David said.

“That’s what she (Preston) bought into it and she wasn’t afraid to go and do it and she tried and practiced and kept improving her gear and she’s a great student.”

David said he originally got into archery because he wanted to start bow hunting.

“It just seemed like such a challenge. So cool to have to be able to sneak up and wait and crawl and all that. I just thought that was fantastic I was young and energetic and I just didn’t want to shoot a rifle at something 400 yards away,” David said.

“Within a few years after that, the sport of 3D was being developed and I was in on the very beginning of it and followed it right on up to present day.”

3D archery includes shooting at mock animal targets made out of special foam that are sized to mimic the actual animals.

“They set these targets out on our courses, we go through the trees, you take four people in your group and you go from one shot to the next. One might be a hundred yards away from the next one, you go down a trail and around it,” David said.

“They keep it safe, it’s usually in a big loop and usually a 20 target course. These animals are everything from North American animals to African animals. It’s just all kinds of them and they just look so realistic in the trees, in that setting, and it’s just so much fun to shoot it,” he added.

“It’s great practice for shot placement for bow hunters. That’s how it really started. But it just became just a great competitive sport.”

The two day Alberta Masters Indigenous Games had three courses looped through trees. Archers were split into different age categories at the event, with eligibility for masters starting at 22 years of age.

David who is Metis, has attended the Indigenous Games since 1997.

“I just got hooked immediately. The culture is deep. It’s full of young people looking for role models and answers and you know new sports and things they can connect with,” David said.

“I just found it really cool to be able to go there and shoot well and kind of help these young kids along and teach them a little bit,” he added.

“I learned a lot too, and every time I go there to any one of these events. I make more friends and I meet some fantastic people.”

David said he has become really good friends with a lot of the other competitors over the years.

“We look forward to seeing each other again, the joking and laughing and friendship is huge,” David said.

“That, I value pretty much more than anything.”

He said the Indigenous Games are more of a cultural experience with some sports in it.

“We don’t go there to be a big competitor, we go there to be involved and to experience the culture and the people,” David said.

“It was at Parkland Bow Benders Course, which is about 10 miles north of Spruce Grove,” added.

“It’s a great course. It’s a great setup. That land is owned by some Indigenous people. They were there, they did the morning prayer and they told us the story of the land.”

David said the owner of the land is an 89-year old Indigenous man who was the last member of a band in that area.

“He’s the coolest guy, he’s got so many stories and and he’s so happy that people are using that land to shoot bow and arrow and you know have their kids learn and grow the sport,” David said.

“He’s had offers from many companies and corporations to buy that land for its gravel and various things like that, but he won’t sell it,” he added.

“He’s gonna protect that land and his son is gonna have it when he’s gone and he’ll protect it. It’s actually a very sacred area.”

by Jesse Gill

Medicine Hat archers hit their mark bringing home gold from Indigenous Games

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