Antoine Mountain, a current Trent University Ph.D. student, has a host of athletic achievements to his name. Most recently he added Northwest Territories Sport Hall of Famer to this list in recognition for his accomplishments in cross-country skiing. It’s an accolade he hopes will inspire the youth of his hometown.

Originally from Fort Good Hope in the Northwest Territories, Mr. Mountain began cross-country skiing at a young age. He became part of the Territorial Experimental Ski Training (TEST) program and, with inspiration from his coach, Father Mouchet, he qualified for and participated in the 1967 Canada Winter Games.

After the games Mr. Mountain was awarded the Tom Longboat Medal, which recognizes outstanding performance by First Nation athletes in their chosen sport. For Mr. Mountain this award and his induction into the Sport Hall of Fame were big moments: “These are the highlights of my athletic career, only four other people from the Northwest Territories have ever won the Tom Longboat Medal. It is a huge honour.”

Now working toward completing a Ph.D. in Indigenous Studies at Trent, Mr. Mountain hopes to inspire the next generation of Indigenous youth.

“My research centres on the youth of smaller communities in the North and around ways to strengthen their cultural roots,” he explains. “I’m doing this to encourage the youth in my community in the Northwest Territories to stay in school. I hope that when they see my medal, and hear I am completing my Ph.D. at Trent, it will inspire them to do the same.”

Trent University was Mr. Mountain’s top choice for his Ph.D.: “This program has been offered at Trent for almost 35 years now. It’s an advanced program compared to similar ones across the country, and most importantly it’s very connected to the local Indigenous communities.”