Zach Whitecloud Speaks on His Indigenous Upbringing

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud comes from a background that very few of his NHL peers share.

Whitecloud, who is of indigenous descent, spent much of his upbringing in the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation.

The defenseman joined Nevada Public Radio to discuss his childhood with Indigenous Affairs reporter Miles Brady on Monday.

"Obviously, so that everyone knows, I didn't spend my whole childhood in my home community of Sioux Valley," Whitecloud said on the show. "My parents and I grew up in Brandon, Manitoba and that's where I was raised. Sioux Valley was about 20 minutes down the highway. ... That's where my father grew up and his family. I believe he left Sioux Valley when he was 18, and there's still lots of aunties, uncles, cousins that still live back in Sioux Valley, distant cousins, those sorts of things. So for me, Sioux Valley and Brandon are both home.

"I played hockey growing up for the Sioux Valley team, which my dad helped coach and he kind of organized. And that was from I believe ages six to probably around 10 or 12, somewhere around there."

Even after playing for that team, Whitecloud said the Sioux Valley community still supported him in his hockey journey.

"My community in Sioux Valley supported me and I think all of its athletes as they moved on throughout their careers. ... When I started to move to the higher levels of hockey and playing on the travel teams and the Brandon Youth Hockey Association, Sioux Valley was always very supportive of paying my entry fees, and travel, and those things like that, and helping out with those to push their athletes to make sure they had the resources and the ability to go out and play and not have those financial burdens hanging over their heads throughout the winter."

Regardless of where you come from, Whitecloud believes hockey serves the same purpose for all players who are passionate about the game.

"I think hockey -- and this doesn't pertain to my indigenous background and it comes from all ethnic backgrounds, cultural backgrounds, where you grew up, rich or poor -- hockey is an escape no matter who you are," Whitecloud said.