One month after The Chief died
His jersey was marked down and discounted to half price
Less than half price on the official Toronto Maple Leafs' online store
George Armstrong was a Toronto Maple Leaf for 21 years
He was captain for 13 and he led the team to 4 Stanley Cups
I stole that from a Wikipedia page
And that line from the Hip
He was the greatest captain during the greatest run in the
greatest franchise in English Canadian Hockey History.
He was the Chief
And when the broadcasters eulogized on his nickname they
suggest it was a simpler time back then
It wasn’t meant as an insult.
It wasn’t racist.
That is the subtext to what they were really saying
Classic Canadian Erasure
It was a simpler time back then.
First Nations were still being restricted by an Apartheid
like Pass system when he became a Leaf in 1950
It was a simpler time back then
Children were being dragged away to residential schools and
ads in newspapers are selling 60’s scoops to rich White folks around the
country and south of the border.
It was a simpler time back then
He played the first 10 years with no right to vote for First
Nations across the country represented by the Maple Leaf he wore on his chest.
It was a simpler time back then
Indigenous Veterans were being neglected on the streets of
the city, the gravel roads and bush trails across the country after serving in World War II.
Even Tommy Prince, Canada’s greatest Warrior would not be
treated Equal as Canada’s greatest cowards.
They sold their rights to be Indian to fight for Canadian
Freedom and were discounted after their service.
Marked down and discounted.
Marked down and discounted.
Marked down and discounted.
They should not have said that they called him Chief because
it was a simpler time back then.
They should have said the truth.
They called him Chief
Because he was the Chief.
He had been through more than anyone in that room.
He was hardened.
Hard as flint scraping and scorching shards of steel into
molten balls of fire.
He was the Man.
He was the Leader.
He was the Captain.
He was the Chief.
***
