Each winter in February or March the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre is host to Canada’s largest Indigenous sporting event.

The All Native Basketball Tournament (ANBT) was first held in Prince Rupert in 1959. The event was created at a time when pot-latches were banned and Indigenous peoples were still being forced into residential schools. But every winter, communities would come together to share food, art and, most significantly, hearty, intense competitive athleticism.

The beauty of the tournament is the celebrated unity between Indigenous groups from Alberta, Alaska, and, of course, British Columbia.

This event sells out every year and generates about $300,000 in revenue for the All Native Basketball Tournament organization and about $1M in revenue for the town of Prince Rupert.

The history of this tournament and the importance of the event can be felt just by watching the opening ceremonies. 

A new documentary is slated to release in early 2022 by filmmaker and UBC Anthropology professor Dr. Charles Menzies online.

The ANBT has a wonderful history since it's beginning, and a Northern BC author and journalist has written a fictional novel about how effective sport and community can be.

The novel is called All Native and it was written by Rudy Kelly, who grew up in the time of the tournament's inception.

CICK News spoke with Kelly about what the tournament does for indigenous athletes, communities and artists from 1960 to present.

Listen to Pam Haasen's interview with Rudy Kelly below: