Cree First Nations fighter throws down skills for youth MMA

Fighter profile of Dakota Reis by Todd Westacott

Cree First Nations youth are getting the chance to learn mixed martial arts from a local fighter who will soon be going pro.

Dakota Reis is teaching MMA to Cree First Nations youth ages five to 14 as part of a pilot program focused on fun and learning new skills.

The 19-year-old fighter is teaching classes mostly based on Jiu Jitsu with some striking, kickboxing and wrestling mixed in. The class is utilizing an empty Cree canoe shed fitted with mats for MMA training.

The class is something Reis says he wishes was available to him when he was a youth, and he says he’s happy to offer a program that’s close to home for the youth taking part.

“I was lucky enough to have parents who were willing to drive me into town and take me to programs that already existed in town, and I think a lot of kids out here don’t have those opportunities,” Reis told MMA Tycoon.

Reis says he’s always wanted to do a youth MMA program with the Cree First Nation, but it wasn’t until the tribe’s administration ironed out some of the logistics that the program took shape.

“All of the logistics have been taken care of for me and I was happy to teach,” Reis said. "There are not alot of opportunities out there for First Nations youth."

It’s not the first time Reis has worked with Cree youth in an MMA setting. In the past he’s assisted with the kids’ classes on his tribes reserve. When he was living in rural Quebec he helped out with a high school wrestling team.

“I’ve been around Cree teenagers and been in that kind of role before,” he said.

For Reis, it’s about growing the sport he himself has taken by storm as an amateur, and about raising awareness and educating on the Cree First Nation way of life.

“I think everybody deserves as many opportunities as they can to find what they like doing,” he said. “If one kid falls in love with it and goes on to represent the Cree people and raise awareness of our people's struggle then it will all be worth it.”

The pilot program started Feb. 13 and will run until the end of May, followed by a summer break before it is decided whether the program will return in the fall.

As for Reis’ own MMA fighting career, it’s coming close to taking a milestone step as he continues to perfect his own skills and make the jump from amatuer to pro as a highly touted prospect out of the League of Legends camp.

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