It was a positive night at the Maple Creek Community Rink Saturday evening, as hundreds of people gathered to take in the 36th-annual Battle of Little Big Puck.

The game sees the Cowboys, who are made up by local ranchers (who are, or have been, members of the rodeo association) take on the Indians, who are all members of the Nekaneet First Nation, located just south of Maple Creek, in Cypress Hills.

The two teams face off in a battle for bragging rights, while also raising money for charity. This year the bragging rights went to the Indians, as they won 11-8. The proceeds this year will be split between the Nekaneet youth travelling to the FSIN Winter Games, and the Maple Creek Hospital.

The now annual game began in 1979 when two Cowboys (Tom Reardon and Nick Demchenko) were talking with a member of the Nekaneet First Nation (Raymond Anderson), and friendly banter saw a challenge for a game to be held to settle who was better at hockey - the Cowboys or Indians.

Prior to the opening face-off, for Saturday night's standing-room-only crowd, the community honoured the two surviving of the three original organizers of the game, Reardon and Demchenko, as well as Laryn Oakes, a World Champion Women's Fancy Dancer, with a presentation of custom leather jackets courtesy of SIGA.

Tom Reardon, said when they started back in 1979, he didn't think it would turn into the community get-together it has become.

"We were having a beer, and we planned all this and then held it the next January," he said. "It's not like we are visionaries. All we were doing was planning a fun Sunday afternoon."

General Manager of the Living Sky Casino, Trevor Marion (left) and Deputy Mayor of Maple Creek, Michael Morrow (far right) presents jackets to Laryn Oakes, Tom Reardon, and Nick Demchenko.

 

After the opening ceremonies, it was time for puck drop, with a local RCMP officer keeping the peace as the referee.

The Cowboys got off to a rough start as they were down 7-3 after the first 20 minutes of play. The Cowboys battled back in the second period, as they scored five goals and limited the Indians to just one, to tie the game at eight goals each going into the third period.

player on the Indians' team, said that he thought this year's game went very well.

"I would deem it a success," he said. "I think when everybody goes home at the end of the night feeling good, and everybody did a good job, then for the 36th year we've contributed to a good cause."

Mosquito said that the game not only raises money for a good cause, but it's also a way for both the Cowboys and Indians to keep their cultures intact.

"This is something that we've been doing for a long time," he said. "So yes sometimes outside forces will be there, but we are trying to cling on to what we have. The battle is between two cultures, but not against each other. It's about trying to keep our cultures intact."

Braniff added that the game was a success, as they were able to raise money for both their causes as well as show the province, and the country, that two cultures that may not always get along, can get along and work together.

At the time of this story being published, final numbers for the amount raised for this year's two receiving organizations were not in, but look for future stories here with those details.

More photos from the 36th annual Battle of Little Big Puck.

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Photos by Tanner Wallace-Scribner