By Tyrone Sitting Eagle
CJ Cutter is a proud member of Siksika Nation; he is an entrepreneur, skateboarder, and mentor. His parents are Karen and Stanford Three Suns; his grandparents are Margaret and Pius Three Suns, as well as George Studhorse. CJ and his wife Kevyn Cutter are the owners and operators of More Than Bannock concession, and he is also a co-founder of Cousins Skateboarding, which is a non-profit organization that promotes the Skateboarding community.
Over at the More Than Bannock concession, which is located at the Deerfoot Sportsplex in Siksika, CJ and his wife offer a delicious menu that includes bannock tacos and burgers. Thier business also aims to support the community by providing employment for Nation members. Additionally, they also provide food for many programs on the Nation, such as the Men’s Warrior Program, and the Youth Nights that take place weekly. The great location and programs offered at the Sportsplex is giving them a bigger reach in the community, working and partnering with SN7, Parks and Recreation, and Siksika Health Services, which has been a great asset for CJ and his wife.
“Our location and partnership with the entities here at the Deerfoot Sportsplex, such as SN7, Parks and Rec, and Health, are helping us assist the community more,” said CJ in an interview with Siksika Media.
Cousins Skateboarding was founded in 2020, originating in Treaty 7, and surprised Cj who did not expect the organization to gain so much popularity which is now a non-profit organization that provides youth in Siksika, surrounding Native communities, and non-Native communities a safe place to learn skateboarding. They also set up skate parks in different communities through their partnerships. They are sponsored by Jumpstart, Driving Force, Ninetimes, ARCTERYX, and SHREDZ!.
One activity that is currently very popular is their weekly skate nights. Cousins Skateboarding will visit a community and set up a skate park; here they will provide everything, down to pads, boards, skate lessons, and food, at no cost.
“We invite all kids that want to come out; we get them set up with free lessons, and we don’t charge the community or the kids; we just try to help out the best way we can,” said CJ.
With the growing popularity of the organization, CJ found himself travelling all over the country through Albuquerque, New Mexico, Fort McMurray, Toronto, and Montreal. They are even partnered with Canada Skateboard, the Olympic Skate Team, as support coaches, and they are also helping them create a coaching curriculum that will be distributed all over Canada.
CJ also exclaimed how doing this work started to help bring skateboarding into communities and has evolved into something that is being recognized nationally which has him feeling grateful.
“We started this to help bring skateboarding to our communities and is evolving into something more than just communities. We are so blessed and amazed that it happened this way!” said CJ in an interview.
This is very good opportunity for the community as it is bringing in a lot of youth who don’t have the chance to skateboard and want to learn. This is not just available in Siksika, they also work in other communities and are giving youth a chance to participate without the extra cost and a chance to learn and be a part of a growing community.
