Some interest has been shown in the following articles on Michigan goaltender [1990-91 through 1993-94] Chris Gordon, so I thought I'd post them to Hockey-L for anyone who is interested. Gordon is one of the few Native Americans playing Division I hockey. John H U Mich ------------------------ A JOURNEY INTO HIS PROUD PAST U-M goalie explores American Indian roots by Dan Gretzner II When Chris Gordon was 11 or 12 years old, he was arrested for snagging salmon in Sault Ste. Marie. He didn't have an Indian membership card, and it was against the law to snag without one. Gordon requested a jury trial, which quickly put an end to the court proceedings. "In Sault Ste. Marie, to pull out 12 people or whatever it is for a snagging incident, they're not going to worry about it," Gordon said. "It was never brought up again." But the incident helped shape Gordon's life. He searched out his heritage and learned he was part Indian. Soon after, he became a member of the Sault Ste. Marie tribe of Chippewa Indians and received that Indian card. When Gordon joined Michigan's hockey team as a freshman goalie in 1990, he didn't boast of his Indian beliefs or insist on having his native-American name, Biidasge (BEE-doss-GAY,) on his jersey. Instead, he concentrated on hockey, where he's been a backup to Steve Shields during his U-M career. The Wolverines opened 4-0-1 this season with Shields the starter. But Shields was injured in the sixth game (Nov. 6) and Gordon, 6- 1, 165 pounds, got the victory that night and recorded two more last weekend in his first consecutive starts at U-M. Shields could play this weekend, but Gordon is expected to start tonight vs. Ohio State at Yost Ice Arena. Although Gordon, 23, hasn't played as much as he would've liked in his three-plus years, his Indian pride has soared since coming to U-M. "For some reason or another, I didn't feel comfortable around the people I was with," Gordon said of his first year in Ann Arbor. "A lot of things that we do are different, and people don't understand them. You worry about how people are going to react." But he grew more confident, and the pride became stronger. "In the spring (of 1993), I went home and that's when things really changed," Gordon said. "The spirit that's always been inside me was able to come forward instead of being hidden. I didn't hide any of my beliefs anymore. "I said 'Here's Biidasge,' instead of saying 'Here's a person -- Chris Gordon -- who doesn't know who he is yet'" Gordon was given the name Biidasge, which means "First Light of the Day" in the Ojibwa (oh-JIB-wuh) language, when he was about 19. Although he has about one-quarter Indian blood, he considers himself an Indian. "I consider myself full-blooded in spirit," he said, "which is more important that being full-blooded on paper." Gordon practices many beliefs and is always striving to learn more about his heritage and the traditional ways of his ancestors. One of Gordon's beliefs involves the use of tobacco. He said he carries it with him at all times. "When I use tobacco, it's strictly for making offerings," he said. "I make my offerings in the morning pretty much every day." He said his offerings, which are done outside, are similar to praying and don't involve smoking or chewing. He faces East and lays the tobacco on the ground before giving thanks to the creator (Gchimanito) for things such as life, personal abilities, Mother Earth, and for other people p the sick, elderly, friends relatives and those not as fortunate. "You always ask for a good day for them," he said. Gordon also will use tobacco to ask an important question of a fellow Anishnaabe (ah-NISH-nah-BAY), a term for native American. "If you see another Anishnaabe and you need to ask him a really important question, that would be a time you would probably offer him some tobacco," he said. "A traditional Anishnaabe won't turn you down if he thinks it's important to you. It's an honor to help another Anishnaabe, and I would do the same for anyone. "If you're making an offering outside, you have to put it in a place where no one will step over it (like under a tree or in fire). It's kind of taking your prayers up to the creator, and you don't want anyone walking over it." Gordon said he doesn't drink alcohol, and stays away from that lifestyle. So when he isn't at practice or studying towards his major in sport management and communications, he is often working on his regalia -- a costume for traditional dancing. Gordon's regalia includes moccasins, leggings made from deer hide, a breach cloth (front cover), breast plate, choker (necklace) and porky roach (a head ornament made from porcupine hairs). Although he is not ready to dance, he said he hopes to begin soon. But first he must feel spiritually the time is right, and the transition process requires a four-day fast. Gordon said the learning process is never-ending. "I'm very early in my stages of learning," he said. "I just want to learn as much as I can, so I can pass it down and feed the fire that we need to spread our traditional ways." "If I see something I don't understand, I'm not afraid to ask a question, whether it be outside in a yard looking at trees or whether it be at a pow wow." unedited from the ANN ARBOR NEWS, Friday, November 19, 1993. ------------------------ 'M' HOCKEY GOALIE STRUGGLED TO KEEP NATIVE AMERICAN TRADITIONS ALIVE by Mona Qureshi Chris Gordon discovered at age 12 that he was part Native American. For any other student on campus, this may never have been a problem. But when his culture clashed with the standards set by the Michigan hockey team, Gordon -- a goalie -- experienced a difficult senior year. "It would be like saying you could practice your religion as long as no one knew about it or as long as it wasn't visible," Gordon said. Gordon, who prefers to have his heritage referred to as 'Nishnabe, meaning "first people," has begun to talk about his experiences while working with Coach Red Berenson now that his Michigan hockey career has ended. Gordon said he felt uncomfortable publicly expressing his cultural identity before last summer, when he pledged to himself not to hide any of his traditional ways and beliefs. The most important of these traditions to him would be growing out his hair. He explained that length of a 'Nishnabe's hair signifies a degree of strength in spirituality. But compared to the rest of the team members neatly-trimmed short haircuts, Gordon stood out. The incidents started in Gordon's junior year, when he made an attempt to grow out his hair. At their first 1992-93 team meeting, Gordon said Berenson came into the locker room and suggested to the team that they get haircuts. "That's when I first approached Coach," he said. "I expressed my feelings toward keeping my hair and at first I didn't go into a real big explanation about the traditional beliefs. ...I kind of questioned, why is it so important for me to cut my hair and that's when he stated, that because I looked like a 'dirtball.'" This past season, with Gordon's commitment to his beliefs stronger than ever, Gordon said he felt even greater tension. He said Berenson had pulled him to the side and said, "We're starting to meet as a team now, and you're going to have to decide what you're going to do about your hair. "I said, 'I already have decided,' and he said, 'If you're not going to do anything about it, we'll have to discuss it.' Coach asked me into his office and in front of the other coaches. He basically said I'm going to have to make a decision and if I didn't decide to cut my hair I just wouldn't be around," Gordon said. Gordon said he tried to explain in more detail, but Berenson said he did not represent the Michigan hockey team. He said he met with the coaching staff and attempted to explain his beliefs in depth, but he did not get anywhere. "When you're representing the University of Michigan, we keep our players looking like athletes. Chris had a different opinion," Berenson said in a telephone interview he ended abruptly. "I've accepted that. I didn't totally understand it. I accepted it," he said. "Coach basically felt I was going against the team. I told him I didn't feel that way and I believe the guys on the team didn't seem to mind," Gordon said. "They were accepting me for who I was. That's when Coach said long hair isn't the 'in' right now. I kind of knew he was really misunderstanding the strong feelings and beliefs behind my hair." "This is the meeting where I got to the point where I basically went into tears over it. I was really hurting. ...I had to make a decision -- cut my hair or leave the team. I had no choice but to cut my hair. "I just didn't want to cause any more waves than I already did. That was never my intention," he said. The Dekers -- the hockey team's booster club -- were to have a picnic in the next few days, Gordon said. Berenson told him to take care of his hair immediately, he added. "He said he didn't want me showing up unless my hair was cut from now on. I really fought with thinking about what to do," Gordon said. He said he cut it to shoulder length. Gordon said cutting his hair was difficult. If it was not an explicit compromise he had to make, he said he felt there was one. "I love playing hockey and I like to be in around the guys. This was something I'd worked for for a long, long time. I didn't want to do anything that would screw up my chances of continuing in hockey. But when I finished cutting my hair that morning I knew I couldn't do it again." Berenson said that Gordon never did. "We let him wear it as he wanted, regardless of all the negative comments from outside the University," Assistant Coach Mel Pearson said. He said Gordon's hair prompted others to question how Gordon could represent the team. "We sacrificed that in fairness to Chris," Pearson said. "We let him express himself and he did that. ...There was no compromise." Pearson said he never thought Gordon's hair was a major issue. Berenson said Gordon did not meet the "clean-cut" standards set out for his players as a team. Others in the community disagreed. Michael Dashner, Native American representative in Minority Student Services, said Gordon sought counseling from him in the fall to discuss pressure from the team. If the pressure was not intense enough, Gordon and his parents probably would never have said anything, Dashner said. Dashner said that Gordon came to him after feeling the University -- an institution that is supposed to foster "diversity" -- would not accommodate for diversity in the athletic department. "Can (Gordon) still be a 'Michigan' man and still maintain his cultural identity?" Dashner said. Pearson said the team has indeed made efforts to accommodate for racial and religious differences. Dashner said he spoke with Dean of Students Richard Carter, who then spoke with Berenson. He said an agreement was reached among them to allow Gordon to grow out his hair without having to hear concerns from the coaching staff. "I explained to Mr. Carter my respect for Coach and my understanding about his feelings toward it. I had no intentions of making a big scene over this ever. I just wanted to keep my hair. I really didn't think I was asking for too much," Gordon said of the meeting. Carter was not available for comment. Within a few days, however, Gordon said Berenson made a comment about his hair while at practice. For awhile after that, Berenson did not say anything, Gordon said. That is, until the team had a road trip to Sault Ste. Marie -- Gordon's hometown -- for a game. "He said he would really like for me to get a haircut while at home. I knew I wasn't going to do it. There was no way," Gordon said. "After that, the issue was never brought up again." Gordon said the coaches may have understood, and maybe even sympathized with him. But a seemingly minor issue to them such as hair was a larger issue to Gordon., he said. Gordon said Berenson never told him not to practice his culture, although his actions indirectly said so. "Coach has never said anything against me being Indian and even in one of the meetings, he said they're not trying to take my identity away or take my beliefs away, but having long hair on the Michigan hockey team -- it just wasn't going to work out. Gordon said he does not regret having come to Michigan, but he hopes his experience will not have been in vain. "I don't want this to be something that scars the athletic department," he said. "I hope it makes it easier for someone else who may run into a similar situation. My situation should never have happened." unedited from THE MICHIGAN DAILY, Monday, April 18, 1994.