VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC host Indigenous Peoples Match, in collaboration with BMO, this coming Saturday, June 4 as the ‘Caps take on Real Salt Lake at BC Place.
Kickoff will be at 4 p.m. PT.
COMMEMORATIVE LOGO
To celebrate National Indigenous History Month, Whitecaps FC teamed up with xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) artist Debra Sparrow to create a special Whitecaps FC logo, which can be found on the club’s channels all month long as well as throughout BC Place at Saturday’s match.
Sparrow was born and raised in the Musqueam Indian Band and is an acclaimed weaver who has been weaving for 20 years and is deeply involved with the revival of Musqueam weaving. She is self-taught in Salish design and jewelry-making and continues to work on pieces close to her heart at her home in Musqueam. Her hope is to educate others about the beauty and integrity of her people’s history through her art.
Fans can stay tuned to the club’s social channels for a chance to win a commemorative t-shirt.
PRE-MATCH JAMBOREE
More than 100 Indigenous youth from across the region will take part in a pre-match jamboree on the pitch at BC Place. Coaching for the jamboree will be provided by Whitecaps FC, BC Soccer, Hope and Health, and I·SPARC.
SPECIAL GUESTS
The pre-match jamboree and match will feature several special invitees, including Olympic snowboarder Spencer O’Brien of Alert Bay. O’Brien is of Kwakwaka’wakw and Haida ancestry.
DJ O SHOW
Orene Askew, known as DJ O Show, will be performing pre-match at ‘Caps Kickoff on Terry Fox Plaza.
Askew is an artist, DJ, and motivational speaker. She is two-spirited, born to a mother from the Squamish nation and an African-American father from Gary, Indiana. DJ O Show is a pillar of Vancouver’s LGBTQ2+ community. Her goals are to lift up her community, spread her knowledge, and stand up for her land and heritage.
MARCH TO THE MATCH
Saturday’s March to the Match will be led by Vancouver Southsiders member Luke Dandurand, or wiyé.nox (the man of sound). Dandurand is from Kwantlen First Nation, which is located on a small island alongside the streamline of the Fraser River in Fort Langley. To learn more about Dandurand and his teachings on Indigenous cultures and rebuilding relationships, please visit wiyenoxconsulting.com.
The March to the Match will depart at 2:45 p.m. PT from Granville and Smithe (outside Dublin Calling), proceeding north along Granville and down Robson to BC Place.
KID CAPTAIN
Saturday’s Kid Captain will be Isaiah Baker-Sparrow from Hope and Health. Isaiah has had many contributions as a youth coach, providing mentorship and joy to underprivileged children and youth, and as an artist co-creating the “Light the Path” orange shirt design with his grandmother, Debra Sparrow, for Hope and Health fundraising.
Isaiah is an inspiring young leader and role model.
TSATSU STALQAYU (COASTAL WOLF PACK)
The Tsatsu Stalqayu, also known as the Coastal Wolf Pack, return after a memorable performance at BC Place last year during the club's first Indigenous Peoples Match.
They will again have a traditional Coast Salish performance on the pitch both before the match and at halftime.
