Defining their Own Borders

“Strong. Resilient. Indigenous.” It’s the words the members of Team Indigenous Rising share before they take to the track. And it’s the words that have come to define the team and the incredible individuals who come from around the world to be part of it.

What started in 2017 with Indigenous skaters Mick Swagger and Jumpy McGee as a way to bring together Indigenous people in the sport of roller derby has grown into a movement inspiring anyone who has ever felt like they don’t belong.

The creation of Team Indigenous allowed Indigenous women to come together—to feel seen and heard—in a sport that has historically lacked diversity. It was also a bold statement, as they became the first borderless team in roller derby history to attend the Roller Derby World Cup—meaning members of the team didn’t come from the same geographic region.

As a result, unlike many derby teams who live locally and can train together, the members of Indigenous Rising—who come from more than 30 Indigenous Nations across the world—can’t train together. Rather, they only get to learn about each other’s styles when they meet at competitions, making their ability to come together as a team a truly remarkable feat.

It didn’t take long for Kanien’kehá:ka filmmaker Courtney Montour to learn about this inspiring team breaking barriers in the sport of roller derby and feel compelled to share their story.

“It was absolutely groundbreaking for this team to stand up to the [World Cup] committee and say, ‘We don’t want to represent the countries and the colonial borders that have been put upon us,’” says Montour. “I knew right away that more people needed to know about their story.”

After years of planning and production, and with a hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, Rising Through the Fray is now making its debut until April in select theatres across Canada and the U.S.A.

The film evocatively captures the deep bond between team members, with a focus on three members of the team known as Sour Cherry of the Saulteaux Nation, Krispy of the Cherokee Nation, and Hawaiian Blaze of the Hawaiian Nation.

These three skaters share deeply personal experiences about what it means to be Indigenous and the challenges they have faced honouring their identities in a world shaped by colonial systems.

“Roller derby is the backdrop of the film, but Rising Through the Fray is not a sports documentary,” says Montour. “It’s about Indigenous Rising and how they created a space for Indigenous women to be seen and represented on the track.”

Indigenous Rising hasn’t just inspired Indigenous women and created a safe space for them; they’ve also inspired the creation of other borderless and diasporic teams in the sport. Including Indigenous Rising, there are now six such teams.

“We’re proud to have inspired them to claim their space in the roller derby community,” says Krispy.

Indigenous Rising is changing the face of roller derby, creating a ripple effect that is making space for a new generation of inclusion in the sport. And their determination to fight for representation is a testament to what’s possible when Indigenous women create space for themselves—and for each other.

Photography: 7th Screen / Nish Media

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