Ethan Bear made it clear this past week that he’s got an unbreakable bond with Edmonton Oilers fans.
At a rally outside of Edmonton’s Rogers Place Arena on Saturday afternoon, Bear drove by to thank fans for their support following his receipt of racist messaging after the Oilers were eliminated from the first round of the NHL playoffs.
Bear, who is nehiyĆ¢w (Cree) and from Ochapowace in Saskatchewan, thanked fans who supported him following the comments.
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āI know this doesnāt represent all Oilers fans or hockey fans, and I greatly appreciate your support and your love during this time,” Bear said in a video put out last week by the Oilers.
āIām here to stand up to this behaviour, to these comments,” Bear added. “Iām proud of where I come from. Iām proud to be from Ochapowace First Nation. Iām not just doing this for myself, Iām doing this for all people of colour, Iām doing this for the next generation to help make change, to love one another, to support one another, to be kind to each other. Thereās no place for racism in our communities, in sports, or in our workplace.”
Several fans on social media shared their experience from the event, and in general support of Bear:
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ā¦@EdmontonOilersā© Ethan Bear, thank you for standing up to racism. ā¦@SCSRebelsā© #PSSDprideandjoy grade 9 bulletin board pic.twitter.com/m1obQ9JqnT
— Jennifer Heinrichs (@JenniferHeinr11) May 31, 2021
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