A sense of identity and a foundation for success
For Michael Linklater, his long braided hair allows him to honour his ancestors and culture. Although he didn’t grow up in Thunderchild, Michael is Nehīyaw (Cree), and comes from the Thunderchild First Nation, in Saskatchewan. Best Michael has always maintained close ties to the known for his accomplishments in sport, Michael community. “My grandparents, who raised me, is one of the top ranked instilled the importance of 3-on-3 basketball players in staying connected to our the world. He has led the culture,” he says. “It gave me “There was a lot I had University of Saskatchewan the foundation to succeed in to go through being a Huskies to their first national mainstream sports.” championship and played visible minority but Later as an adult with his with Team Saskatoon in own family, he realized the having a proud sense the International Basketball issues he faced in childhood Federation 3-on-3 World of my identity was still existed for his boys. Tour Final. “They were coming home something that Despite his undeniable gift from school, telling me allowed me to deal for sport, his path wasn’t they wanted to cut their always so clear. As a kid with that adversity.” hair. They were saying the growing up in Thunder same thing I was telling Bay and later Saskatoon, my mom 20 years earlier.” Michael remembers being Through his reach on social media, he could see bullied relentlessly for his braids. “There was these issues not only existed for his children but a lot I had to go through being a visible minority, for many people across North America, and but having a proud sense of my identity was realized something needed to be done. It was something that allowed me to deal with that adversity,” says Michael. then Boys with Braids was born.