The energy that All My Relations players carry onto the basketball court is palpable. There is a certain magic in watching these Indigenous women—from different nations, and ranging in age from their late teens to over 40—manoeuvre through difficult plays, handle tough calls by the ref, and get the job done as a team.

All My Relations (AMR) stands on nearly 20 years of legacy in the Vancouver basketball and Downtown Eastside communities. The success of the team is attributed to the core belief that, to quote former NBA player and coach Phil Jackson, there is “a lot more to basketball than basketball.” The organization has expanded to include youth clinics, co-ed programming, and tournaments, while the original Strathcona Basketball League team is still going strong.

“What AMR is trying to do, at the end of the day, is create healthy, happy people,” says All My Relations founder Joleen Mitton of Néhiyaw and mixed European ancestry, “in a city that doesn’t really reflect them all the time.”

Mitton emphasizes that her leadership is a product of just doing what needs to be done; she identifies more as an auntie than anything.

“I’m not trying to go by myself,” she says. “It’s boring and it’s lonely. And it’s not how you build community.”

All My Relations has grown to become a pillar for urban Indigenous people in the Downtown Eastside, and has served as a vehicle for generational healing.

“We have post-secondary students, 18- and 19-year-olds, and we also have moms who are 40-plus,” shares Shenise Sigsworth, an All My Relations player and mentor for the past five years who is of mixed Jamaican and Cree-Métis ancestry. She is a former varsity athlete for Thompson Rivers University, as well as a registered nurse specializing in mental health and addictions. “AMR has built such an amazing community of Indigenous women—and men now—and we do community events as well as play basketball,” Sigsworth adds. “It’s just such a beautiful space to be in.”

Another player, Laura Lewis from the Nisga’a, Tsimshian, Tahltan, and Tlingit Nations and an Indigenous support worker for the North Vancouver School District, joined the All My Relations community in 2008, when she was 13 years old. She began playing with the team full-time when she was 18, and has been a core member ever since. As someone who grew up in East Vancouver, Lewis says All My Relations serves as a validating space.

“Everything else feels chaotic, or feels like an immense amount of weight or pressure,” she says. “Basketball is that space where we can really be ourselves and unapologetically be who we are as Indigenous women.”

Lewis notes that the community interest in and support for the program has grown over the years: “The amount of youth now that say, ‘Hey, I want to play for AMR,’ and the amount of parents that are supporting us, is something that we never had when I initially started.”

And while there’s no doubt that the players are competitive, their focus extends far beyond the court.

“The beautiful thing about AMR is we’re playing for each other,” says Mitton fondly. They are committed not only to the skills of basketball but to the ongoing, broader practice of building shared wellness through the sense of belonging that team sports provide.

Mitton thinks that All My Relations’ Indigenous-centred approach to teamwork and problem-solving is what ultimately sets the team apart.

“We operate within an Indigenous values-based system where everything and everyone is interconnected,” explains Mitton. “This belief emphasizes that people, objects, and the environment are all connected, in contrast to the singular, ‘I gotta get mine’ mindset prevalent in Western worldviews.”

She goes on to stress that, importantly, no one is disposable.

“We like to fix things with an elder. We try to do our best to work with the three host nations here. They know about us and they support us,” she says. “The recipe is Indigenous worldviews and how they transform people into better people.”

Camellia Brown from the Nisga’a and Gitxsan Nations is an electrical apprentice in her third year of studies, and has been a member of All My Relations since 2012. She brings to light how important the program has been on a heartfelt level.

“It’s hard, at times, just being a woman in a city, being Indigenous, and just trying to live—trying to survive, pretty much,” she acknowledges. “It’s really nice to have that sense of home, and a safe space. That’s what I’ve noticed we’ve nurtured and we really value within our team.”

Ex-UBC varsity player Montanna Howe, of Red River Métis and European ancestry, has played with All My Relations for 10 years, and has also been a coach and an educator. For her, being part of the team has helped her appreciate her own identity.

“It’s really supported me in my growth and in my understanding of my Indigenous side and my culture,” she shares, adding: “I want to make sure younger generations keep playing.” 

All of these women affirm that youth are a major focal point for the work that All My Relations is doing.

Brown emphasises the way All My Relations has proven to be a consistent source of support for young people in the Downtown Eastside.

“Being a youth in East Vancouver is really hard,” she says. “Sometimes you don’t really understand how much of an impact that you can make just by showing up.”

After two decades in the game, Mitton has begun to consider her future, and says that whoever takes over from her one day will need to have the right priorities.

“The person who holds that next baton has to be a community-oriented person,” she says, “and not wanting to win at all costs, because that doesn’t work.”

And despite how much All My Relations has thrived (and continues to do so), participants and stakeholders insist that this team is just one part of a bigger picture.

“We are not an anomaly,” Sigsworth proclaims. “This is common for Indigenous people: to be celebrated, and to show our community connections, and that we’re community builders.”

Today, the basketball programs are nestled under the All My Relations Indigenous Society; it’s led by Mitton, who also spearheads the flourishing annual Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week (never one to sit still, Mitton is also the cofounder of Supernaturals: an all-Indigenous modelling agency). The non-profit society is connected to various mentorship programs, and helps participants gain skills to move into successful careers.

Those who want to support All My Relations can make donations on its website, or purchase a custom basketball printed with original artwork. All My Relations also has a partnership with Indigenous-owned Hype Chocolate in which proceeds from a bespoke chocolate bar go directly to the team and its offshoots.

All My Relations has firmly rooted itself in Vancouver in such a way that we all stand to benefit. The health and success of this organization is an important aspect of healing, belonging, and understanding. The work is ongoing; every day is an opportunity for community betterment, both on and off the court.