Here’s a patriotic 1924 photo of Taffy Abel representing the United States at the 1924 Winter Olympics in France. It’s really a remarkable photo when you consider that if white Olympic or NHL leaders knew he was a Native American he would have never got into the Olympics in 1924 nor the NHL in 1926.

In 1924, Clarence John Abel from Sault Ste Marie, MI USA became “The First” Native American (Ojibwe) Hockey Player in the Winter Olympics. Known more commonly as Taffy Abel, he won a Silver Medal. He was also the USA Flag Bearer. Because of anti Indigenous Systemic Racism in the pro NHL and in amateur USA Hockey, there have only been three Native American Hockey Players in the Winter Olympics in the past 100 years. Out of 736 NHL Players in 2023, there is only one active Native American NHL Hockey Player.

The International Olympic Commission (IOC) readily acknowledges and honors Taffy Abel for his Native American heritage and being the USA's first Indigenous ice hockey player. However, the NHL, under Commissioner Gary Bettman, and USA Hockey, have failed time and again to significantly honor Taffy Abel for breaking the NHL Color Barrier in 1926 or in significantly honoring Taffy Abel on his 100th anniversary in the Winter Olympics in 1924. This is like Baseball having never honored Jackie Robinson in 1947 for breaking the Baseball Color Barrier.

In addition, the US National Archives in Washington DC credits Taffy Abel for being “The First” Native American in the Winter Olympics - 1924 as well as being “The First” Native American in the NHL - 1926. These and other credible primary sources, such as at the Smithsonian and Olympedia, d0 unequivocally state that Taffy Abel broke the NHL Color Barrier in 1926 and was “The First” Native American in the 1924 Winter Olympics.

After years of research, the leading Hockey Historian Stephen Smith readily acknowledges that Taffy Abel was “The First” Native American in the NHL in 1926 and broke the NHL Color Barrier that year. The Gold Standard for Hockey Research is the SIHR and Stephen Smith is a senior official with SIHR. The prestigious SIHR - Society of International Hockey Research also acknowledges that Taffy Abel was “The First” Native American in the NHL in 1926.

In addition, Naim Cardinal, who is the largest collector and historian of Indigenous Hockey Cards, clearly states that Taffy Abel was “The First” NHL Native American Player in 1926. Hockey Card Collectors are a serious group.

Despite these solid facts and research from numerous independent sources, the biased NHL will not significantly acknowledge that Taffy Abel was “The First” Native American in the NHL and the hockey player who broke the NHL Color Barrier in 1926. … that’s their Dirty Little Secret they want hidden from the American public.

The NHL wants us all to believe “this NHL” false narrative that Willie O’Ree broke the NHL Color Barrier in 1958. That’s 32 years after Taffy Abel had broken the NHL Color Barrier in 1926. The NHL big lie is just like Trump saying he won the presidential election in 2020. The US Special Council, Jack Smith, and the US Department of Justice have now indicted Trump on August 1, 2023 for his lies and inciting the January 6 Insurrection. Plain and simple through their misinformation, it appears the NHL do not like NHL Native Americans - specially Taffy Abel.

The prejudiced NHL will not honor Taffy Abel for “This Native American 1924 First” in the Olympics nor in breaking the NHL Color Barrier in 1926. Someone at the NHL was rumored to say: “I drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee on the way to Blackhawks games and that’s all I am going to do in honoring Native Americans” A former NHL employee has said “There is no “I” in BIPOC” for the NHL. This could be lame excuses #1 and #2 by the NHL in failing to honor Indigenous Taffy Abel.

The NHL, whose actions are clearly prejudiced against Native American Taffy Abel in favor of Willie O'Ree, then had a NHL PR hack give the Associated Press their official lame excuse #3 in December 2022 that “their NHL records” on early NHL Native American Players don’t go that far back. That lame NHL excuse is similar to Trump in lying about the existence of Top-Secret Government documents at his Florida residence. That has got Trump indicted also. Just as with Trump, Lies - Deception - Misinformation - Coverups is stock and trade of some people.

The NHL wants us all to believe their fantasy version of history that Willie O’Ree broke the NHL Color Barrier in 1958. This violates our American core principles of fair play - decency - integrity - honesty. It certainly fails the NHL motto that “Hockey is for Everyone.” We firmly believe that some think the NHL also stands for the ‘National History League’ and they can distort history as they like.

It’s strange that the NHL.com website DOES have NHL records going far back concerning the first Asian - Chinese Canadian NHL Player Larry Kwong from 1948. Perhaps the expansion minded NHL might be desirous of establishing several NHL Teams in China. Even stranger is that the NHL.com website DOES have NHL records going far back concerning the Canadian Indigenous NHL Player Buddy Maracle from 1931. Maracle was the second Indigenous NHL Player in 1931 because 5 years earlier in 1926 Taffy Abel was the first Indigenous NHL Player.

In regard to the NHL saying they don’t have early Taffy Abel NHL records, we say hogwash to their lame and fantasy excuses to distort history. Check the NHL website and you will find Taffy Abel’s record. Check the 2022 NHL Twitter postings acknowledging Taffy Abel as a Native American. USA Hockey 2023. Instead of honestly saying that Taffy Abel was “The First” Native American NHL Player … the NHL deceptively say he was “The First Known” Native American NHL Player. We think they do this to continue their big lie that the African American Willie O’Ree broke the NHL Color Barrier in 1958.

Rely on external records provided by NHL Player families. Rely on the US National Archives. Rely on a search of relevant databases, primary documents, books, periodicals, and newspapers. Hire an outside Professional Genealogist if you must. Hire a Professional Hockey Historian if you must. Dust off your NHL archives if you must and then tell the truth to Taffy Abel's Family and Tribe.

Despite numerous requests, the NHL has not provided us any of their research to prove that Taffy Abel was not “The First” NHL Player to break the NHL Color Barrier in 1926. The reason for this NHL deception is likely they know our research is rock solid accurate and they don’t want to face repercussions for negligently helping get Willie O’Ree get a US Congressional Gold Medal for supposedly breaking the NHL Color Barrier in 1958 … some 32 years “after” Taffy Abel.

In this website and other material provided to the NHL, we have already provided extensive Taffy Abel family and genealogical records, photos and archival records. We can prove: 1. Taffy Abel was born a Native American and died a Native American. 2. Taffy Abel made his Winter Olympic Hockey debut on January 25, 1924. 3. Taffy Abel made his NHL debut on November 16, 1926 well before any other Native American NHL Players or any other BIPOC or non-white NHL Players. 4. Taffy Abel was the first BIPOC NHL player and broke the NHL Color Barrier in 1926. Those records and others have been independently verified.

In addition, we have provided the NHL an expert carefully researched list of 100 Indigenous NHL Players who played one or more official NHL games between 1917 and 2023 sorted by NHL debut date and tribe. Taffy Abel is ranked as “The First” in 1926.

Taffy Abel is listed “First” in 1926 and he played in 333 NHL games between 1926 and 1935. The 188 NHL players before Taffy were mainly all White Canadians with Euro-Canadian ancestry. Indigenous players who were just on an NHL roster, and who did not skate in an official NHL game, are not included. We only found one Indigenous player, Paul Jacobs, in that ‘roster only’ category. We found no African American players in the NHL prior to 1958.

After his superb Olympic hockey performance, Native American Taffy Abel was recruited to the NHL by the now known NHL racist, Conn Smythe, and became “The First” NHL Native American Hockey Player. He made his Professional NHL debut in New York City with the New York Rangers on November 16, 1926. Taffy broke the NHL Color Barrier that day.

In his first NHL game, Taffy and the Rangers Team beat their Canadian opponent, the defending Stanley Cup™ champions, Montreal Maroons. For Taffy, it was sweet payback for the USA having lost the Olympic Gold Medal to Canada in 1924 because USA Hockey leaders such as William Haddock in 1923 failed to recruit the best American players.

The amateur hockey organization, USA Hockey, is largely funded by the NHL and there is a revolving door of people going to USA Hockey from the NHL. The Canadian counterpart is the scandal ridden Hockey Canada. The NHL largely draws hockey players from USA Hockey and Hockey Canada.

There is no doubt in Hockey Historians verifiable data that the USA born and Native American Taffy Abel officially broke the NHL Color Barrier in that November 16, 1926 NHL game. The 188 NHL players before Taffy Abel were all White Canadiens where Hockey is not only their national sport, but practically their national religion.

The Canadians are extremely partisan against Americans when it comes to hockey. The NHL and the Canadian government for many years falsely claimed that Fred Sasakamoose, an Indigenous hockey player from Canada, was the NHL’s first Indigenous player because he played a few games with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1953. This was 27 years after Native American Taffy Abel broke the NHL Color Barrier in 1926. Fact is that Fred was the seventh Indigenous player in the NHL … not the first.

In addition, both Fred Sasakamoose and Willie O’Ree were employed as NHL paid employees to serve as NHL Ambassadors. Shows you how the NHL is biased in favor of Fred and Willie and then greasing the skids and getting Willie that U.S. Congressional Gold Medal.

Now nearly 100 years later, the NHL is refusing significant recognition and respect for Native American Taffy Abel’s November 16, 1926 Color Barrier NHL accomplishment.

While at the same time, the NHL Commissioner honors an NHL player from 1958 and gets him awarded a prestigious Congressional Gold Medal for falsely saying he broke the NHL Color Barrier. If something seems unjust and wrong in this scenario …. it is because it is wrong to most of us .

We don’t think the 32 White NHL Governors and Billionaire Team Owners show integrity when they permit the NHL Commissioner to honor a NHL Trailblazer of one larger ethnic race with a prestigious U.S. Congressional Gold Medal and then show egregious dishonor toward a heroic NHL Trailblazer from the smaller Native American race.

This NHL episode certainly does not bode well for the NHL’s Social Justice reimaging campaign … “Hockey is for Everyone™”.

We will try to explain the NHL dilemma here since they won’t.

Here’s the accepted definition of 'Color Barrier', which was first known as the ‘Color Line’: unspoken social code of racial segregation or discrimination, esp. in sports, education, public service, and the like. Note that the definition says nothing about where Blacks only can break a Color Barrier.

Don’t let anyone tell you that early NHL Team Owners didn’t impose a Color Barrier barring nonwhite Black and Indigenous players … they did and the Herb Carnegie story is one of many examples of NHL Systemic Racism.

Here’s three accepted facts: 1. In 1924, Taffy Abel became the First Native American in the Winter Olympics. 2. Because of his stellar Winter Olympic performance, in 1926, Taffy Abel was the First Native American NHL Player. 3. Taffy Abel broke the NHL Color Barrier in 1926.

We have three questions concerning these accepted and indisputable facts.

Question 1: Why has the National Hockey League Commissioner failed to convincingly recognize Taffy Abel as the NHL’s “First” Native American player in 1926? Interestingly, he and the NHL do recognize the NHL’s “First” African American player in 1958 as well as the NHL’s “First” Asian player in 1948.

Question 2: Why has the National Hockey League Commissioner failed to recognize Taffy Abel for breaking the NHL™ Color Barrier in 1926? Interestingly, the NHL touts that the NHL’s “First” African American Player broke the NHL Color Barrier in 1958.

Question 3: Why has the NHL staff remained silent and failed to respond to our several private efforts to have Taffy Abel’s November 16, 1926 NHL accomplishments conclusively recognized as barrier breaking? Our efforts are now being made in transparent public ways. These earlier private ways included a November 16, 2022 private letter and electronic messages sent via various emissaries including a NHL Governor, a NHL DEI Consultant, NHL Associated Press reporters and others. The most recent round was on April 10, 2023 where an NHL Governor promised to contact the NHL’s Gary Bettman. We have not heard from him.

Facts and NHL records prove Native American Taffy Abel alone was the ”First"  NHL player to break the NHL Color Barrier on November 16, 1926. Despite what the NHL and the NHL Commissioner proclaim, the NHL Color Barrier was not broken by Willie O’Ree in 1958. Even the Associated Press acknowledges this.

Here, and in the USA, we mostly use the term ‘Native American’ when discussing Indigenous persons. However, according to the National Museum of the American Indian, the term Native American has alternatives, and many Native people prefer American Indian (AI) or Indigenous American and, whenever possible, to be identified by their tribe. In Canada, they use the term ‘First Nations’ when discussing Indigenous persons.

The “First" achievements by Native Americans or African Americans or any Minority in the field of Sports historically marked footholds, honor, acclaim for significant accomplishments of their race. A prime example is Jackie Robinson in MLB Baseball. The shorthand phrase for this is "Breaking the Color Barrier" or “Breaking the Color Line”.

Taffy Abel certainly made a significant accomplishment for his Native American community as well as the Professional Hockey community.

This PR inspired NHL event to attract more Black hockey fans, along with heavy lobbying and other expenses (in the $1 million range), resulted in the US Congress awarding Willie O’Ree a 2022 Congressional Gold Medal for among other things, falsely proclaiming he broke the NHL Color Barrier in 1958.

Furthermore, even Nancy Pelosi mistakenly on 1-20-2022 said the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal was for Willie O’Ree breaking the NHL Color Barrier. These phony 1958 Color Barrier talking points were the major ones the NHL and their paid lobbyists used to on members of Congress to get the Congressional Medal approved.

Here are these phony talking points in writing. The official US Congressional Record on the ‘‘Willie O’Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act’’ repeats the NHL falsehood that Willie O’Ree broke the NHL Color Barrier: "In 2018, 60 years after O’Ree first broke the color barrier for ice hockey ..."

However, the Smithsonian African American Museum does not repeat this color barrier falsehood and only says: "On Jan. 18, 1958, O’Ree became the first Black player in NHL history ..." Yes, “The first Black player in NHL history” is the correct annotation for Willie O’Ree. That’s the annotation which the Associated Press now uses.

The NHL and NHL Lobbyists started their efforts to get Willie O’Ree a Congressional Gold Medal in 2018 and 2019 when they put together a bus tour promoting Black Hockey History that ended in Washington DC. “The 525-square-foot mobile museum will also highlight trailblazers like Willie O’Ree, the NHL’s first black player who took to the ice and broke the color barrier in 1958.”

In 2018, the NHL Commissioner helped get himself and Willie O’Ree in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Even the HHOF, an old boys club, repeats the falsehood that Willie O’Ree broke the NHL Color Barrier in 1958. “While breaking the colour barrier in the NHL didn't carry the magnitude that Jackie Robinson's debut with baseball's Brooklyn Dodgers did, nevertheless, it was a historic moment in the game's history.” The HHOF show no integrity in this matter since they do not honor nor respect a Native American for breaking the NHL Color Barrier in 1926. They are egregiously and shamefully perturbating Cultural Genocide against Indigenous people.

The NHL’s Black Kim Davis helped head this up along with consulting advice in 2018 from demographer William Frey. This is when the NHL’s feeble attempts under Kim Davis to attract more Black Hockey fans launched because the NHL was realizing that Whites, and NHL White Hockey Fans, would be in a minority by about 2040. That’s not good for the NHL $$$ bottom-line benefitting billionaire NHL team owners .

A Congressional Gold Medal in the past has been earned and awarded to individuals on the merit of their exemplary service and contributions to the American people. But here, the NHL and their lobbyists subverted this process to help burnish the NHL’s faltering brand and reputation as being a ‘real diverse’ sports organization in order to attract more Black hockey fans. That is clearly a commercial purpose and as such it tarnishes the prestige of a Congressional Gold Medal.

In addition, the NHL’s Black Jeff Scott has said the NHL favored the living Black Willie O’Ree versus other deserving Trailblazing NHL Players. "For the second part, the NHL decided they needed a compelling story to share with officials that was not only inspirational, but also advanced their cause. That’s where NHL legend Willie O’Ree comes into the story."

Scott also says: “There’s a first indigenous players in our game, you know, like Taffy Abel, right?” We think the Taffy Abel Native American story is at least 10 times more compelling and inspirational than that of Willie O’Ree. But, the NHL put their $1,000,000 on Willie and then tried to Culturally Erase Taffy Abel. That’s shameful and morally bankrupt. If that were done by a President of an American Corporation there would be calls for his resignation or firing and the same should hold true at a Sports organization such as the NHL.

Here’s a Quorum Public Affairs “smoking gun” transcript on how the NHL orchestrated and funded a campaign to convince Congress to award the Black Willie O’Ree a Congressional Gold Medal for breaking the NHL Color Barrier. This is some clear evidence for the American people that well-funded organizations like the NHL can buy a Congressional Gold Medal just as they can influence tax legislation that favors the rich class of NHL Team owners with better tax rates versus the working class.

This NHL sportswashing debacle is similar in ways to the Saudi Arabi government spending tons of money on sports such as PGA Golf to burnish / sportswash their reputation after killing a Washington Post reporter. In the NHL case, they did a Cultural Genocide kill job on Taffy Abel.

Willie O’Ree won zero Stanley Cups™ and played in only 45 NHL Games and made his 1958 NHL 32 years after Taffy Abel broke the NHL Color Barrier in 1926. Our professional assessment, like that of the Associated Press and other reporters, is that Willie O’Ree did not break any NHL Color Barrier, nor did he have as impressive NHL record as Taffy Abel.

So, an African American NHL Player gets honored, and a noble Native American NHL Player gets thrown under the bus … and the NHL Commissioner thinks he is morally right in doing this by ignoring history, ignoring NHL records and trashing the legacy of Taffy Abel? So much for “all men are created equal”. So much for the integrity of the NHL on it’s racial equality slogan “Hockey is for Everyone”™.

The NHL Commissioner and the 32 White NHL Governors have a demographics conundrum … put simply in about 2o years or about 2040, the US population of whites will decrease to under 50%. Whites will become a minority and that does not bode well financially for White Billionaire NHL Team Owners.

Right now 95% of NHL players are white and the NHL fanbase is over 90% white. Hockey has a perception in some circles as being ‘not for some’ (like blacks) and ‘only for others’ (like whites).

Now, more than ever, the 32 NHL Team hockey communities and their owners appear to be focusing on the drastic demographic and cultural change that is coming. African-American buying power grew to about $1.5 trillion in 2022 – the largest racial minority consumer market. When compared to other sports such as Basketball and Football, the NHL has the smallest percentage of African American fans.

Some will say that demographic financial reality about the future growth of the African American fanbase in hockey is why the NHL decided to say an untruth: “The Black Willie O’Ree broke the NHL Color Barrier in 1958”. They sealed it by paying to lobby for a Congressional Gold Medal. They ignored history and facts and threw under the bus the real NHL Color Barrier Breaker … Native American Taffy Abel who broke the NHL Color Barrier in 1926.

We are more than willing to discuss the Taffy Abel Color Barrier story with investigative journalists or Congressional investigators. We think they can expose the lengths the NHL went to obtain a Congressional Gold Medal. That’s the big headline and NHL Scandal that should be investigated and reported on.

November is “Native American Heritage Month” and the NHL™ itself does not widely honor or celebrate this month. Just as the NHL does not significantly honor Native American Taffy Abel for originally breaking the NHL Color Barrier in 1926.

February is “Black History Month” and the NHL™ does honor and celebrate this month to the max. The NHL honors Willie O’Ree as the first NHL player of African heritage in 1958. So, African American / Black NHL Players get celebrated for their heritage and Native American NHL players get silence for their heritage. Such silence toward Native Americans is a form of Cultural Genocide … the NHL is essentially saying Culturally Erase Taffy Abel  and Native Americans from history.

May is Asian American Heritage Month and the NHL™ does honor and celebrates this month. The NHL honors Larry Kwong as the first NHL player of Asian heritage in 1948.

September 15 to October 15 is “Hispanic Heritage Month” and the NHL™ does honor and celebrates this month. The NHL honors Bill Guerin as the first NHL player of Hispanic American heritage in 1992.

So, the NHL honors their smorgasbord of heritage months but not significantly Native American Heritage Month. These NHL™ sleights on Native Americans show poor integrity and are seen by many as morally wrong and a form of Racial Sportswashing.

Let us make this clear: we are in favor of the NHL™ fairly and equitably honoring EACH oppressed BIPOC / non-white player communities for their respective “Firsts”.

However, we cannot condone the NHL™ Commissioner excluding and discriminating against Native American Taffy Abel and the Native American community for his NHL “First” of originally breaking the NHL Color Barrier in 1926. He was the “First” of any ethnic or non-white group in the NHL and deserves recognition and respect versus NHL silence and NHL erasure.

Clarence “Taffy” Abel (1900-1964), “The First” Native American (Sault Chippewa / Ojibwe Indian) on January 25, 1924 to compete and Win a Silver Medal in the Winter Olympics for Team USA. He was born May 28, 1900 in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan USA. He was the Spiritual Captain for USA Hockey in the first ever Winter Olympics. Sault Ste Marie (Baawitigowininiwag) is commonly called the original “Hockey Town USA”.

It is important to note that Taffy Abel was born a mere 10 years after the U.S. Government ended their massacre or genocidal murder of Native Americans in 1890 at the Wounded Knee Massacre. There exists a long list of Native American Massacres.

Taffy was “The First” Native American USA Flag Bearer in the 1924 Winter Olympics. Photo here of Taffy Abel with the American Flag. That’s patriotism personified. As a Native American representing the United States, he swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.

The New York Times reported his August 1, 1964 death. Taffy ‘Mr. Hockey’ earned a well written obituary, not as a hockey enforcer, but rather as a much loved and respected hockey player. As an American Citizen with Native American Heritage, Taffy had a right and was proud to carry the American Flag in 1924, but few at that time knew he was a Native American. In addition, he was “The First” Indigenous National Hockey League player who was born in the United States.

“This First” NHL™ Native American Hockey Player, Taffy Abel, made his NHL debut in the USA with the New York Rangers on November 16, 1926. In his first NHL game, Taffy and the Rangers Team beat their Canadian opponent, the defending Stanley Cup™ champions, Montreal Maroons.

As a Defenseman, Taffy played very hard and used his 225-pound Michigan Mountain body as a weapon. As a Defenseman, his main job was not to score goals but to prevent goals. The Rangers became popular by playing hard and clean earning a reputation as “the classiest team in hockey.” Their teamwork led to a first season record of 25-13-6, the best in the NHL™, and a trip to the playoffs. Although they did not make the finals on their first try, they won the Stanley Cup™ on their second, one year later in 1928 when Taffy and his Rangers Team beat the Montreal Maroons from Canada. Again, some sweet payback.

When asked his business, Taffy always said: “I’m in the business of Winning”.

Next, Taffy Abel broke the NHL™ Chicago Blackhawks Color Barrier on November 14, 1929. He helped the Blackhawks Win a Stanley Cup™ in 1934. From 1926 to 1935 he played in over 333 NHL Games, helped Win 2 Stanley Cups, was inducted in the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973 and more. From 1936 to his passing in 1964, he mentored and coached local youth in hockey.

We respectfully recognize Willie O’Ree as the first NHL Black player who skated for the Boston Bruins in 1958. But it was not Willie who broke the NHL™ Color Barrier … it was Taffy Abel, the Native American NHL player in 1926 … some 32 years before Willie.

Taffy’s story as a Trailblazing Native American NHL™ Hockey Hero is an exciting one that the NHL and 32 Teams could use to create interest in attracting new NHL BIPOC fans .

See the new 2022 NHL Diversity and Inclusion Report about BIPOC demographics here. It’s the first one they ever did. They did it because they know of the momentous demographic shift downward in the White population.

Read here the Associated Press take on this report and about the NHL’s lack of diversity. "... where more than 90% of players and nearly all coaches and officials are white." "... and the results show that NHL hockey has a lot of work to do to increase diversity at all levels." "The results are not surprising for a sport that for many reasons, from socioeconomic to geographic and more, has remained predominantly white."

The NHL Commissioner hired Kim Davis as the NHL’s Senior VP for Diversity and Government Relations. She is a Black woman new to hockey and is a key person who headed up the very intense lobbying efforts to get the Black Willie O’Ree a Congressional Gold Medal for supposedly breaking the NHL Color Bearer. Davis said: “it is not as simple as recruiting people of color to work for the NHL, that it starts with improving how underrepresented communities ‘see and feel’ about the NHL itself.” Apparently, she and the Commissioner think a Congressional Gold Medal for a Black man will do a Hail Mary and solve the faltering NHL image and demographic problems.

Our strong inclination is that the NHL wants potential Black hockey fans to ‘see and feel’ that the Black Willie O’Ree is the diverse face of the NHL when quite the opposite is true with a near all white face of hockey at the owner level, the coaching level, at the player level, at the fan level.

In the meantime, the NHL throws a noble Native American, Taffy Abel, under the bus as they try to razzle dazzle their way in attracting more Black hockey fans. In the end, follow the money and it is all about more green wanted by the billionaire NHL team owners than honoring a NHL Player. Black sports fans are increasingly deserting hockey for basketball and football.

Only 0.5% of the NHL workforce are Indigenous versus a US 2020 Census benchmark of 3%. From all key areas - executive leadership - players - fanbase the NHL is the least diverse of the Big Four Sports Leagues.

The NHL™ says it wants to increase their NHL BIPOC fanbase by at least 25%+ … but the artificial and contrived way they are trying to do that now is not working. If the NHL Commissioner cannot honor the first NHL Native American player, how do they think that will play in winning over a larger BIPOC fanbase and a larger / younger fanbase tuned into Social Justice?

Hockey fans love heroes no matter their race. In other words, ROI (Indigenous) equals more BIPOC butts in NHL™ seats, more online interest, more interest on television, more advertising revenue, more sponsor revenue, more gaming revenue, more media interest, etc. and all that translates into higher financial ROIs for the NHL and the 32 NHL Teams.

Plus, there would be innumerable benefits to the NHL™ PR areas and Social Justice areas which younger audiences, advertisers and players are identifying with more and more. This has been said by someone in the hockey PR sphere. “The national media loves a negative story. America loves a villain, in most cases more than they love a hero.” In terms of Social Justice, Taffy Abel has been a victim and a hero … that’s a positive story. That combination adds considerably more excitement and love for him.

Here’s what Deloitte Consulting says about Sports Organizations such as the NHL™: “In fact, sports organizations should seriously consider the potentially adverse effects on their bottom lines of not addressing issues related to inequality and injustice. Now could be the time for organizations to make social justice a key tenet of their culture and brands.” We think how the NHL is treating Taffy Abel is inequality and injustice personified.

The NHL needs to up their game on JEDI- Justice - Equality - Diversity - Inclusion for current BIPOC players as well as past BIPOC players such as Taffy Abel. Start by Honoring the Past if you want to Embrace the Future.

If a Steven Spielberg type were looking to do a Social Justice inspiring movie about hockey along the hero plot in Chariots of Fire, (about 2 heroes in the 1924 Summer Olympics) he could find no better true hero story than that of Taffy Abel who had to Pass as a White Man to play and Win in the game he loved.

Perhaps a NHL™ or Marketing / PR executive will listen to some music, have a beer, watch this video and think outside the rink about the Taffy Abel story for a moment. If Lazlo Holmes, a fictional character, became hockey’s Black Friend … think about a real hero player, Taffy Abel, becoming hockey’s celebrated BIPOC Friend to draw in more fans.

We are advocating for truth and transparency about the Taffy Abel story. We are in it for Native American Social Justice. In addition, we want Americans to remember all the Indigenous children who suffered and died in Residential Boarding Schools.

Here are the true Investigative Facts about these schools. We want people like the NHL™ Commissioner to learn the real and heroic story what Taffy Abel had to do to keep from being unjustly sent to such a school and how he found love and meaning in hockey.

We want Americans to know that Indians - Redmen - Savage Injuns or whatever other pejorative name had been used against them to victimize them …. were and are good and noble Native people just like Taffy Abel … and that a person should not be judged by their race or the color of their skin but rather by their kindness and talents.

Despite claims of “Hockey is for Everyone™”, it’s unfortunate that some NHL National Hockey League executives have adopted a policy of silence to stymie our legitimate “Why Question” about Trailblazer Recognition for Taffy Abel as “The First” NHL Native American / Indigenous / BIPOC Hockey Player.

Those savvy about the NHL believe that “Hockey is for Some” is a more appropriate slogan.

We do not believe NHL™ silence in this matter: “Supports Native American / Indigenous Social Justice. Nor does it foster more inclusive communities”. Those in NHL Hockey Media have a similar analysis.

Many may believe that the NHL™ has not been consistent nor fair when recognizing Trailblazing Hockey BIPOC Players. Recently, the NHL was instrumental in getting honored “The First” NHL African American Hockey Player with a Congressional Gold Medal.

However, for “The First” NHL Native American Trailblazer Hockey Player, Taffy Abel, we only get silence and a mere small asterisk on an obscure USA Hockey website saying he was Ojibwe / Chippewa.

Taffy Abel was a noble Native American Warrior and a champion caliber hockey player who brought heart, energy and passion to the rink. In addition to being “The First” NHL Native American and “The First” BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Hockey Player, he also played in over 333 NHL games, helped win 2 Stanley Cups, was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame, enjoyed being a youth hockey mentor and was a Silver Medal Olympian in 1924. In the Olympics as in life, he had a Gold Standard of Winning.

These are far greater hockey accomplishments than those of Willie O’Ree who played in only 45 NHL games and did not win any Stanley Cups.

The first games in the NHL™ were played in Canada on December 19, 1917. About 9 years later, Taffy signed his employment contract with the NHL - New York Rangers on August 14, 1926. He went to the Rangers Training Camp in Canada and returned to New York City on November 15, 1926. “The First” NHL Native American Hockey Player, Taffy Abel, made his NHL debut in the USA with the New York Rangers on November 16, 1926. He broke the NHL Color Barrier that evening.

He became the 189th player in the NHL™ and “The First BIPOC” / Non-White Hockey Player in the NHL. The 188 NHL players before him were White Euro-Canadians playing for rich White NHL Team Owners.

In 2021, we had to fight the NHL’s amateur USA Hockey organization like heck to recognize Taffy Abel as a Native American in the 1924 Olympics. They would only put a mere small asterisk “* " beside his name. We feel this Noble and Trailblazing Native American deserves more than a mere small asterisk from USA Hockey and the NHL.

As an Ojibwe / Chippewa Indian with warrior determination, Taffy overcame monumental odds and roadblocks to play and Win in the game he loved - NHL™ hockey. He would not let things like racism, poverty, etc. deter him from Winning in hockey - in life - in afterlife.

For hundreds of years preceding modern European contact, his Sault (Soo) Band ancestors were part of the large Lake Superior Band of Chippewa Indians. The Ojibwe (known as Chippewa in the United States) were known to have migrated over many centuries from the Atlantic Coast. Sault Ste. Marie is the oldest city in Michigan, and among the oldest cities in the United States.

Over 2,000 years ago, Native Americans began to gather in the Soo for the wealth of fish and fur found along the rushing waters of the wide, turbulent river that linked the Great Lakes of Superior and Huron.

Learn more about Native Americans via this informative FAQ here. If you are looking for a great book on Indigenous people, consider this new 2022 history book: Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America. A prize-winning scholar and author rewrites 400 years of American history from the Indigenous perspectives, overturning the dominant origin story of the United States told by White men.

In 2022, Native American households only have 8 cents of wealth for every dollar that the average white American household has. In 1926, when Taffy Abel joined the NHL, it was even less. He saw the sport of Professional NHL Ice Hockey as a way to support his widowed mother and improve his status in life.

Native Americans have been disproportionately harmed by race-based policies, beginning with policies that supported whites taking Native American land. Broken treaties and other government actions that forced Native Americans off their tribal land were devastating for Native culture and wealth.

Broken treaties led to higher unemployment rates, Indian boarding schools led to high school dropout rates, and to low homeownership rates. Homeownership and building wealth impacts generations.

Throughout U.S. history, policies that were very successful at building wealth for white Americans did not benefit Native Americans in the same way. For example, the 1862 Homestead Act granted more than 270 million acres of land to White Settler citizens and displaced Native Americans from their land. This program overwhelmingly benefitted White Americans.

And now, by the White run NHL not honoring Native American Taffy Abel, that plays into the hands of White Nationalists and encourages them even more as they morally justify doing the wrong thing against the minority group of Native Americans.

Here we are in 2024. The NHL™ states very clearly: “Hockey is for Everyone™ uses the game of hockey - and the League's global influence - to “drive positive social change and foster more inclusive communities”. We support any teammate, coach or fan who brings heart, energy and passion to the rink. We believe all hockey programs - from professionals to youth organizations - should provide a safe, positive and ‘inclusive environment’ for players and families regardless of race, color, religion, national origin.”

That’s exactly what we want to do: “Drive Positive Social Change”.

However, the words of NHL™ Leadership without action seem to many as ringing hollow. Such inaction and silence on the Taffy Abel matter do not seem to be driving positive social change nor fostering respect for Native American and First Nations communities. The old adage is appropriate here: to get respect (and new BIPOC fans) you should give respect … and start with Taffy Abel.

White Colonial Powers through the years waged war to remove Indians from ‘their indigenous lands’ and now we hope we don’t see continuing efforts from some Wealthy White Corporate Hockey Powers to remove / culturally erase Indians such as Taffy Abel from Hockey History. The NHL does not mean National History League. We hope we don’t see efforts to reframe or sanitize Hockey History with silence and benign inaction.

From 1917 to the 1950s, many believe there was systemic racism in the White dominated National Hockey League that attempted to keep out African American players as well as Native American players because of their race and non-white skin color. That’s even if they were the best hockey player in the Olympics or in the world. Today, by a wide margin, the NHL™ is the least diverse of the Big Four Sports Leagues.

In that earlier 1917 to 1966 50 year time period, prior to adding expansion teams starting in 1967, there WAS NOT an ‘inclusive environment’ for nonwhite hockey players in the NHL. An examination of this YouTube Video, NHL-100 Years, may be helpful. How many nonwhite player’s faces do you see between 1917 and 1967? Perhaps two: 1. Native American Taffy Abel in 1928 with the Stanley Cup™ and 2. African American Willie O’Ree in 1958 who played 2 games that year before being shipped back to the hockey minors.

Records and research show there were only 10 Native American / Indigenous NHL™ players in a 50 year period between 1917 and 1966. On a positive note, we do know the NHL™ is trying somewhat to, ‘but very slowly’, by adopting a somewhat more inclusive environment toward present day Native American / First Nation players as well as African American players. But as they do this for present day players, they fail in a miserable way toward past players such as Taffy Able.

In the 55-year period from 1967 to 2022 there have been 87 Native American / Indigenous NHL™ players added to the rosters during that timeframe. But that should be taken in the context that the NHL added 26 expansion teams in that timeframe. So, that’s not real progress for Native Americans. We want to inspire the NHL to succeed even more in this area by having the NHL recognize the accomplishments of Taffy Abel and promote such to Native American / Indigenous youth in the USA and Canada.

All Lives Matter - Including Indian Lives.

In a February 2022 interview for a Washington Post story on Taffy Abel, Dave Stubbs, a longtime White Canadien hockey columnist and hybrid Amateur Historian / PR front man for the NHL™ explained some things in the context of racism and lack of inclusion for minorities. “The players didn’t want to stand out,” Stubbs said. “They wanted to be a part of the team, and you didn’t want to have an asterisk next to your name for being different (meaning nonwhite). So, there would have been no advantage for Taffy to stand from a rooftop and say he was native.” Because of his appearance, Abel was able to blend in. “He wasn’t like Willie O’Ree or Jackie Robinson, who would have been judged by the color of their skin,” Stubbs said, referring to the first Black players in the NHL and Major League Baseball, respectively.

Some beg to differ with the NHL™ and Stubbs on his and the NHL’s perspective: Stubbs should have honestly said: “NHL owners back then did not want players that were nonwhite and that stood out.” In other words, put the onus on the NHL League Executives and NHL Owners for their racism back in the 1917 to 1966 time period versus the nonwhite hockey players.

Some 105 years later from 1917 to 2022, the reasons Native American Taffy Abel remains unrecognized by NHL™ Leaders and NHL™ Governors and the NHL Inclusion Councils do require explanations … but also some positive actions to move forward in an equitable manner. This is a complex and sensitive issue, for all parties, but we believe it should be a solvable one and start by acknowledging and honoring Taffy Abel.

The NHL’s lack of Native American recognition issue for Taffy Abel involves a historical mix of diversity and inclusion issues for Native Americans in hockey along with racial justice and racial equality issues for Native Americans. In the long run, the onus here is on the NHL™ Commissioner and the NHL™ Board of Governors to do the right thing. Doing nothing or silence in recognizing Taffy Abel will be seen as doing the wrong thing.

Versus it’s ‘just racism’ why Taffy has not been recognized, it’s as probably as much about the NHL™ Organization nor having a fair procedural social justice process in place which is free of biases. In that regard, the NHL Inclusion Councils could consider bringing in outside experts such as Richard Lapchick from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) for consultations on the Taffy Abel matter. The SCI, Sports Conflict Institute could also be called upon.

A plausible reason that the NHL™ has not properly recognized Taffy Abel also could stem from the NHL’s “lack of awareness” on (1) Taffy Abel’s Native American Heritage; (2) on what Taffy Abel accomplished in hockey; (3) along with a lack of accurate knowledge about the historic injustices faced by Native Americans / First Nation players in the NHL from 1917 up until the 1950s and 1960s. However, this reason of “lack of awareness” does not hold water since the NHL VP in charge of this knows exactly who Taffy Abel is.

Other than playing hockey in the NHL™, Native Americans hockey players like Taffy Abel had only one other choice to make a buck in winter sports. In 1928 this was the Cree and Ojibwe wild west traveling hockey show that paid Native Americans very little to play in exhibition hockey matches and please the white audience. “Sportswriters saw the tour for what some of the players must have believed it to be—a subversive self-parody, a drama of racial mockery and power inversion. In dressing up and acting as “imaginary Indians,” these real Natives were having a laugh at their paying customers’ expense.”

We believe that if the NHL™ and NHL™ Teams can promote Native American Land Recognition, they should also more importantly promote Native American Player Recognition for Trailblazers such as Taffy Abel. In addition, the NHL should consider, with outside native experts, providing guidance to NHL Teams on Land Recognition / Land Acknowledgements.

“Historical and anthropological facts demonstrate that many contemporary land acknowledgments unintentionally communicate false ideas about the history of dispossession and the current realities of American Indians and First Nations people. And those false ideas can have detrimental consequences for Indigenous peoples and nations.”

Native Player Recognition, with a racial equality perspective in mind, will fairly Recognize and Honor NHL™ Native American Trailblazers in the same manner as they have rightly been doing for NHL African American Trailblazers. There is no better time for the NHL to start than now for Taffy Abel.

This we are certain of, Native American / First Nation youth getting into hockey today need native hockey heroes of their own heritage (past and present) and native role models to learn about such things as native perseverance and the native Winning spirit … Taffy Abel is such a hero and a role model we hope the NHL will recognize and openly embrace. According to experts, a series of young adult books and videos, targeted at Native American / First Nation youth, and possibly a movie and training camps are a couple areas the NHL might consider once they have formulated a strategy with measurable goals.

Since ancient times in North America, Indigenous / Native American / First Nation people have loved and exceled at playing games … including hockey. Older forms of the hockey game in North America were invented and played by Indigenous people. This includes baggataway and duwarken.

Some say we have the Saux, Foxes, and Assiniboine people to thank for ice hockey. They were among the Native American tribes who played a game called “shinny.” In shinny, a buckskin ball was hit down the field using a curved stick. In the winter months, the game was played over ice. White settlers took note and over time, shinny was developed into the modern sport we call hockey. In addition to hockey, Taffy loved playing native games such as the moccasin game. … but even more so … he loved Winning games.

The central purpose of this website is to be a voice for change and build awareness among NHL™ Executives and NHL™ Governors about Taffy Abel, a noble Native American, and his lifetime of hockey accomplishments and hockey firsts.

Sometimes to move forward in seeking greater inclusion for Native Americans / First Nation people in the NHL, it’s necessary to fairly look backward in a critical but constructive manner. Sometimes that may be painful for a large multi billion dollar organization such as the 105 year old NHL. But just like a world class athlete in training to be a winner … no pain often equates into no gain and losing.

We understand the wording with what NHL™ Commissioner has said: “We look forward to working with all voices of change to fight for equality and broaden access to the game we all love.”

In addition, we understand the wording with what Bill Daly, Assistant NHL™ Commissioner, has said: “I’ll start with (NHL senior executive vice president) Kim Davis and her impact on the game. It goes beyond the NHL.”

“I think the game has a different mindset in terms of being more welcoming and inclusive than we had before. Even though we’d probably like to think we’re doing all the right things, you know, at the end of the game, on a day-to-day basis we could always do more, and we’re finding that extra gear now.” “I think there are a lot of programs that we’ve put in place, that Kim’s group has put in place that are opening up areas to more people than in the past.” “We have to continue to push that priority and push that agenda, and I think we’re ready to do it. Our owners and clubs have certainly shown their willingness to do so.”

We hope the NHL’s silent treatment on Taffy Abel recognition will end. We hope NHL™ Leaders and Governors will include Native American Taffy Abel in their thoughts concerning “can always do more” and “pushing the agenda”.

We hope NHL™ Leaders and Governors will understand the reasons and necessity for Taffy choosing to “pass” as a White to survive. Back in the early 1900s there were mainly 3 choices for Native Americans to survive and thrive in those Discriminatory and Cultural Genocide times: 1. “flee”; 2. “hide”; 3. “pass”. Those were also the three basic choices that European Jews had in WWII where millions of Jewish persons perished under Hitler’s Genocidal regime. Racial Passing.

Although born a Native American, Taffy Abel had to spend his “public hockey life” passing as a White. With light-colored Indigenous skin and brown eyes, it wasn’t hard for him to disguise his Indian Chippewa heritage. So, when he became the first Native American to play in the Winter Olympics, on the U.S. hockey team in 1924, he didn’t tell anyone he was a Chippewa. Nor did he tell Conn Smythe in 1926 who recruited him for the NHL™ New York Rangers.

As a result of his outstanding Olympic performance, Taffy was recruited into the NHL™ and went on in 1926 to become “The First” Native American / Indigenous player in the NHL when he debuted with the New York Rangers on November 16, 1926. In essence, he broke the NHL Color Barrier in 1926. Taffy also played hockey for the Native American themed Chicago Blackhawks between 1929 and 1935.

Despite opposition from the NCAI and other parties, as of 2022, the Blackhawks have stated their intent to keep the name and themed imagery, along with their belief that they "honor and celebrate the legacy of Native American Black Hawk" and that the name and logo "symbolizes this important and historic person." , We admire what Mr. Wirtz has accomplished with the new Native American exhibit at the Chicago Field Museum where he is Chair of the Board of Trustees.

However, we would like to see the NHL™ Blackhawks owner also fairly honor and celebrate the legacy of Taffy Abel as “The First” Native American player in the NHL (November 16, 1926) and “The First” Native American player for the Chicago Blackhawks (November 14, 1929) and who helped the Blackhawks Win a Stanley Cup™ (1934).

Since the NHL™ founding in 1917 up to early 2022 there have been only about 100 known Indigenous NHL hockey players …. with Taffy Abel being the “First One” on November 16, 1926. As such, Taffy Abel is truly the Indigenous Trailblazer & Pioneer in the NHL and is recognized for his accomplishments by the US National Archives, Smithsonian, Olympic IOC, Etc. It took from 1926 to 1966 for the NHL to have their first ten Indigenous hockey players. Taffy Abel (333 games) is at Rank 1 in 1926 and Fred Sasakamoose (11 games) is at Rank 7 in 1953.

It is certainly appropriate for the US National Archives, Olympic IOC and Hockey Historians to recognize Taffy Abel. However now, it is extremely important to the Native American Community that NHL™ Leaders, the New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, Seattle Kraken and other NHL Teams take meaningful and constructive steps to honor and celebrate Taffy Abel as “The First” Native American and BIPOC player in the NHL. He is the NHL Player who broke the Color Barrier in 1926 … almost 100 years ago in the Jim Eagle discrimination era.

The NHL™ has a NHL Senior VP of diversity and anti-racism and Kim Davis knows about Taffy Abel and should be able to help in this area. But to date, we have only her silence and no reaching out to us. Why? It’s important not to ignore the Native American legacy of Taffy Abel nor ignore his many accomplishments.

Early on, we hoped all this could be done in an expeditious and dignified manner and not a lesser manner by saying he was merely “one of the first known Native American NHL players” or all this is “ancient history” or “it’s complicated” or “we lack records”. A winner of the Boston Marathon is referred to as “The First” not the lesser term “one of the first”. But now we believe this will take time because of the NHL’s bad faith.

Being some 60 years late in the NHL’s “Movement-Not-A-Moment” glacial speed mantra, the NHL™ has recently and rightfully honored the living Willie O’Ree as the first African American NHL Player with his 1958 Boston Bruins debut. This NHL Senior VP and the NHL Commissioner played key roles in getting Willie O’Ree rightfully recognized as the NHL’s first Black player. However earlier, there was racist discrimination concerning African American Herb Carnegie that kept him out of the NHL because of his skin color. But as a consolation, Herb Carnegie gets a 2022 posthumous induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

When it comes to fairly honoring Taffy Abel as The First Native American NHL™ Player as the person who broke the NHL Color Barrier, the near 100-year delay and current NHL silence in this matter speaks volumes.

Through trusted and respected hockey emissaries, we have invited the NHL™ to have discussions with us. It can be a triple Win.

Taffy Abel helped Win 2 prestigious NHL™ Championship Stanley Cups™ and is in the US Hockey Hall of Fame. He played over 333 games in the NHL.

When asked what business he was in, Taffy always answered: “I’m in the business of Winning.”

Taffy’s Dad, John Abel, passed away in 1920 leaving Taffy at age 20 the breadwinner for the family. In 1939, after the death of his Mom, Charlotte Abel, Taffy formed and coached the Soo Indians amateur hockey team to honor his Chippewa mother. He mentored and coached local youth in hockey and sportsmanship all his life. He was a Hockey Ambassador long before the NHL started their Ambassador program.

In 1939 after the death of his mother and after leaving the NHL™ in 1935, he also quietly and openly acknowledged for the first time in public his own Native American Chippewa heritage. Taffy’s lifelong closest white friend, Sam, knew Taffy was a Native American since they first met about 1905. Back in the early days of the NHL™ (1917 to about 1950), the White NHL Team Owners were not knowingly hiring Native Americans or African Americans.

Starting in 1940, the Soo Indians were coached by Taffy and achieved fame by Winning 3 consecutive NMHL league championships. Taffy was indeed in the Winning business.

Taffy Abel’s Native American story from 1900 to 1964 has remained untold until now. His story is not just about hockey, it’s also about the thrill of life with battles he both won and lost. It’s about his friendship with true friends in the hockey tribe he could trust, white guys named Sam and Lester. It celebrates the finest of all victories - the triumph and goodness of our human spirit.

With him being the patriotic American Flag Bearer, the Taffy Abel story celebrates our American values including an important one that says: “all men are created equal.” Those are the opening words of the Declaration of Independence—and easily its most remembered part.

The closing words of the Declaration of Independence are far less remembered, but they are there. “He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the “merciless Indian savages.”

This grievance about Indian savages in the Declaration helped lay the foundation for White American nationalism that would demonize the continent’s indigenous people, especially when they resisted White American aggressions, with the taking of Native lands, the taking of Native children, and ongoing aggressions which seek to dishonor Native Americans or Culturally Erase the contributions of Noble and Patriotic Native Americans such as Taffy Abel in sports organizations like the NHL™.

Taffy’s story continues and aspires to open dialogues with those who may not believe in the goodness of our human spirit or that “all men are created equal” and instead conjure up unjust reasons not to recognize and honor Taffy Abel as “The First” Native American in the NHL™ in 1926, the first player to break the NHL Color Barrier, despite a preponderance of historical evidence and records proving such.

Do we ignore these aggressions and silence, or do we seek to fight it in a just way? The answer is to neither ignore it nor to fight it in a hostile way. But rather to educate and celebrate meaningful social justice overtures to honor Native Americans in the NHL™ such as Taffy Abel. This website is meant to educate and show what is happening with the legacy of Taffy Abel. If Cultural Erasure can happen with Taffy Abel … then it can happen for any Native American.

We as his family members, as well as his Chippewa Tribe, and social justice advocates worldwide for Indigenous People seek acknowledgement and real actions by the NHL versus a group of superficial performative actions or even worse - continued silence.

Taffy’s “Racial Passing” as a white man and a white hockey player lasted until 1939 because of rampant discrimination in the “Jim Eagle” Indian Discrimination Era, both in the US and Canada. Being “Indian” and having a different skin color, meant having very limited to no opportunities in the White dominated NHL Hockey World and the world in general. This is eerily similar to the racist discrimination that the Black player, Herb Carnegie faced in trying to get into the NHL™ just because he had a nonwhite skin color.

In his early years as a child, there was Taffy’s parents’ fears, and his real fears, that he and his younger sister would be taken away and sent to an infamous Indian Residential School in Central Michigan which practiced the official government policies of “Kill the Indian - Save the Man”.

There is an excellent video on Indian Residential Schools. It’s about how White Run Residential Schools carried out "Cultural Genocide" against Native American / Indigenous children. The Indigenous children were often referred to as savages and forbidden from speaking their languages or practicing their traditions. Many were physically and sexually abused, and thousands of children never made it home. Taffy Abel escaped going to such a school.

The Kenneth Moore story about the 1st Indigenous Canadian Winter Olympian (1932 Gold Medal Hockey) is very informative in helping understand the Taffy Abel story. See timeline here.

Native Americans through the years first faced an era of Genocide (Annihilation), then forced Assimilation and Indian Removal, and now it has morphed into the ‘Jim Eagle Era’ of Cultural Genocide / Cultural Amnesia (Silence or Erasure) toward Native Americans such as Taffy Abel. Sometimes it appears some want to erase the “I” for Indigenous in the BIPOC term.

Over the years, Annihilation - Assimilation - Amnesia have made up a Hockey Hat Trick of Racism and Oppression toward Noble Native Americans. Has such racial intolerance in other Professional Sports leagues happened? The answer is yes … but the National Hockey League sticks out like a sore thumb so far in their treatment of Taffy Abel.

February 4, 2022 Video of US Congressman Jack Bergman (Michigan Dist. 1) honoring Taffy Abel on the floor of the US House of Representatives on his 100th year Anniversary as being the first Native American in the Winter Olympics and the first Native American USA Flag Bearer in the Winter Olympics.

The 4000 seat “Taffy Abel Hockey Arena” at LSSU University in Sault Ste. Marie Michigan honors Taffy Abel. Over 80 NHL players have come out of LSSU. It’s an excellent place for the NHL to headquarter their Native American Youth Hockey operation. The LSSU Community - Native American Community - Michigan Community - Others love and admire Taffy Abel as a great hockey player and a noble Native American.

Taffy Abel as a Native American in the 1924 Winter Olympics, is comparable to Native American Jim Thorpe in the 1912 Summer Olympics. We are the first to admit that Thorpe was a great athlete … but Taffy Abel was not that far behind. Taffy Abel is honored at the US National Archives, Smithsonian American Indian Museum, US Congress, Washington Post, IOC Olympics, The Hockey News, Sault Tribe, NPR, SIHR, ESPN, etc.

For The First Native American in the Winter Olympics (January 25, 1924), Taffy Abel, and who was also The First Native American & The First BIPOC in the NHL™ (November 16, 1926 with the New York Rangers) and Winner of 2 Stanley Cups™ and who is in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, there has been an egregious Cultural Erasure campaign of silence put forward by the NHL toward Noble Native Americans and legendary hockey players such as Taffy Abel.

Our first voice says: Why? Our second voice says: Please do the right thing and change.

If the NHL™ honors The First African American player in the NHL (1958), why not also honor The First Native American player in the NHL (1926)? We have faith that some NHL Governors will have a Branch Rickey moment and start to investigate and take up the matter of getting Taffy Abel recognized and honored as a NHL Native American Hockey Trailblazer and the Player who broke the NHL Color Barrier in 1926.

We continue to believe the NHL failing to recognize and honor Taffy Abel and his Native American heritage in breaking the NHL Color Barrier is not the right thing to do. It would fail the NHL and NHL Team Owners, professed goals of “inclusion” and “diversity”.

Heck, even President Ronald Reagan in the 1930s knew what a great man and hockey player Taffy Abel was.

In 2018, the Commissioner said this about an African American NHL™ Trailblazer, Willie O’Ree. “I’m a history buff, there is an incredible amount that I learned, there’s more to be learned.” “I think we have a story to tell as well. And most people aren’t aware of that story. And to have an opportunity to tell it as part of the overall museum…having a place among the other sports would not only be appropriate but would be good for people to know.”

We think the Native American NHL™ Trailblazer story of Taffy Abel would also be good for people to know.

On the first anniversary of George Floyds death, the NHL Commissioner uttered these words about 18 months ago and we have not yet seen any positive actions for Indigenous people such as Taffy Abel: “Throughout the hockey world, we desire deeper relationships with Black, Asian, Indigenous, Hispanic/Latino and all other communities of color -- as players, employees, fans, business partners and community leaders.”

So, since the NHL won’t tell Taffy Abel’s story, let us tell his heroic Native American story to hockey fans as well as non-hockey fans.

USA Flag Bearers in the 2022 Winter Olympics: 2022 Video USA Flag Bearer in the 1924 Winter Olympics: 1924 Taffy Video