Vancouver Indigenous women's basketball team are leaders on and off the court

When Joleen Mitton steps out onto the court, it feels just like coming home. For the founder of All My Relations Indigenous Women’s basketball team (AMR), the players are not just her teammates, they are family.

“Growing up in Vancouver, the friendship centre and basketball were my safe spaces and finding my family out there on the court at an early age changed my life,” said Mitton.

Mitton and AMR are helping to do the same in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side for Indigenous women living in the area. For the current roster of 14 Indigenous women and the dozens of alumni since the team’s creation in 2003, AMR is a place to belong.

Joleen Mitton, founder of All My Relations Indigenous Women’s basketball team with the AMR Game Ball (The Local Collective & SLAM Canada)

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“All My Relations means ‘we are all related.’ It is a prayer of oneness, so the team to me, means just that,” explained Mitton. “We represent different nations from across Turtle Island, including Haida, Nisga’a, Ojibwe and Tahltan, and range from 17 to 40 years of age. Many of the players are single mothers, post-secondary students, and are all committed advocates for sports and healthy living.

“It’s beautiful to come together and learn from each other and create a safe space for our people to heal and thrive. We have now become a strong community that has been active for 19 years.”

Connection with the wider Indigenous community is important to AMR, which is why the team is proud to be heading to the prestigious All Native Tournament this April in Prince Rupert, located on the traditional territory of the Ts’msyen. To help fund the journey, AMR has partnered with Toronto-based The Local Collective (TLC) to launch the AMR Game Ball fundraiser.

 

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“Initially, I reached out to TLC on Instagram and told them I liked their basketballs,” said Mitton. “That sparked a fantastic allyship with like-minded people interested in community, basketball and circular economy ideals, which is an Indigenous worldview.

“The inspiration came from conversations between AMR and TLC during the first few months of the pandemic. We discussed how Indigenous people have endured genocide, living in an urban setting and being surrounded by concrete. TLC’s iconic floral basketballs made me think of the Tupac song ‘The Rose That Grew From Concrete.’ I drew parallels from the song and our fight to be seen. From there, we came up with a game ball that we both love.”

AMR Game Ball (The Local Collective & SLAM Canada)

The AMR Game Ball is available for pre-order with all proceeds from sales supporting the team as they head to the All Native Tournament. Funding will also go towards supporting the AMR Physical Literacy Program, developing programming and clinics, and continuing their advocacy work for representation in sport.

“Community is so vital right now. We love what AMR stands for and how they build and lift up their communities,” said Kaitlin Doherty, Founder & Managing Director of TLC in a release. “We believe the more spaces that are created, nurtured and funded for sport, especially for underrepresented communities, the more we all have to gain from it.

“Being approached to create a custom ball to represent this incredible story was really special to us. We’re excited for the world to have their own little piece of what AMR is all about.”

The team has also launched a GoFundMe for their trip to All Native Tournament. It has currently raised $11,555 towards a $35,000 goal.

All My Relations with the AMR Game Ball (The Local Collective & SLAM Canada)

Closer to home, AMR can be seen playing in the Strathcona women’s league as the only all-Indigenous team. The team has also coached countless youth basketball clinics and is gearing up to host a two-day tournament on Mother’s Day weekend with both men’s and women’s divisions. There will be live entertainment during the tournament and all are welcome.

“Giving back is a part of our culture and is built into Indigenous worldviews; we are the change in our communities,” said Mitton. “So many of our team members are nurses, counsellors, teachers or leaders within the community and helping it heal. There’s nothing like it.

” I believe leaders make others great leaders. I’ve started a lot of Indigenous initiatives but truthfully AMR feels like home. Couldn’t picture my life without the sisterhood we created together.”