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Sports

Calling Foul: The Indigenous Basketball Team Fighting Gas Sponsorship

VICE Sports discovers why the All Native Basketball Tournament is so important to the communities, what makes their style of basketball unique and how politics has started to work its way into the games.

The All Native Basketball Tournament has been held annually in Prince Rupert, British Columbia for 56 years and attracts up to 1,400 people per game in a community civic centre. The whole week has turned into a celebration of Indigenous sport and culture with a big party element that some people call Second Christmas. But with liquified natural gas companies now sponsoring the tournament some First Nations, led by reigning champions the Skidegate Saints, are bringing active protest to the week's contest. VICE Sports discovers why this event is so important to the communities, what makes their style of basketball unique and how politics has started to work its way into the games.

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