By Connor Simonds, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The City of Markham has secured the opportunity to host the 2024 Little Native Hockey League (LNHL) tournament, cultural festival, and gala celebration. This annual tournament, held during the March break, brings together approximately 3,500 young male and female players from First Nations communities in Ontario, accompanied by their families, friends, and avid spectators. The significance of the 2024 edition lies in its celebration of the tournament’s 50th anniversary. The history of the LNHL is rooted in a desire to combat anti-Indigenous racism that excluded First Nation players from mainstream hockey tournaments. In 1971, five individuals decided to create a hockey tournament in Little Current, Manitoulin Island, to provide First Nation children and youth with an opportunity to play. Over five decades later,…