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Kiana Point: A Leader by Example


Kiana is a proud member of the Popkum First Nation. Playing since age 5 with the North Okanagan Minor Lacrosse Association, Kiana has given back to the association, refereeing games since she was 12 and more recently, being an Assistant Coach.

National Championships are not new to Kiana. She played with Team BC Women’s Junior Team at the Female Box Lacrosse National Championships held July 21-25, 2015 in Calgary, Alberta. Team BC competed for 5 days and went undefeated and took home gold. This was Kiana’s first time playing with and against all female teams. She was 17 years of age. Kiana also played with NAIG Team BC 2017 bringing home the bronze medal and also capturing MVP for the final game against Saskatchewan.

Kiana also played with Storm Lacrosse at the Nations Lacrosse Tournament, helping the team capture the bronze medal.Kiana is proud to play on an all-female team. In her words, “I have been waiting for a female division or lacrosse team to play on before I age out. Now this is my opportunity to play Aboriginal lacrosse for Team BC with all girls”.

Lacrosse is a game that spans 3 generations in Kiana’s family: Her grandfather, Spencer Augustine Point Sr., her father, Jim Point, and her brothers, Kyle and Josh. She grew up in the arena watching her brothers play and watching her father coach. Lacrosse is not just a sport she plays but one that carries medicine. It originates from the Creator and she is proud to carry on the tradition.

Kiana was the third member of her family to compete at the North American Indigenous Games. Her older brother competed in 1997, her middle brother in 2008 and she competed in 2017.

Kiana was also a NAIG 2017 Ambassador for Team 88. The Truth and Reconciliation of Canada (TRC) Calls to Action #88 calls on all levels of government to take action to ensure long-term Indigenous and athlete growth through continued support of the North American Indigenous Games. In order to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation.

Lacrosse promotes a healthy and active lifestyle and serves as an example to many young Indigenous athletes who may not have the role models Kiana has had in her life.

Kiana equates any success she had in lacrosse to be due in large part to the support from her family, especially her mom, Cynthia Murphy, who drove Kiana to practices and even now, is there when Kiana needs help. The drive and motivation to succeed also comes from Kiana’s experiences. Kiana remembers the time when her team won a regular season game with only 7 players against a team that had a full bench of 18 players. For anyone who has played lacrosse, this is a feat that has not been accomplished by very many teams. After the first period, her team led 2-0. In the second period, tensions rose and one of her teammates got kicked out. This left her team with 5 runners. Kiana’s dad who was the coach at the time, played 4 and left 1 on the bench. The team ran fast breaks on the floor and succeeded in winning the game 5-2. This memory stands firm with Kiana as it taught her that no matter how many people show up, it is how you play the game that counts, not the numbers of people playing.

Kiana serves as an inspiration. She is helping teach the game to the younger generations and advocate and grow the game the way she has been taught, leading by example. Kiana was Assistant Coach to a Bantam Team this past summer and was happy to offer her passion and expertise at the Glenmore Elementary School Indigenous Day Celebrations on June 19, 2019.

Kiana also led a Coaching Clinic in Armstrong, BC providing skills development and training to 20 female athletes from the Interior of BC on January 25, 2020. Kiana is always looking forward to giving back to help grow the game for other female athletes and sharing the tools that she has been given over the years.

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