Source: Native Network news Levi Rickert 6-02-13

CHICAGO – Respected Ojibwe elder George Martin carried the Eagle Staff in front of a sold-out crowd prior to Game One of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Western Conference Final on Saturday afternoon between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Los Angeles Kings.

Respected Ojibwe elder George Martin was born on the Whitefish community of the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe reservation in Wisconsin.

Martin was there as part of the color guard that represented different branches of the US military in front a national television audience during the singing of the national anthem. Martin served in the US Air Force during the Korean Conflict.

Having American Indians represented during the singing of the national anthem is the result of work done by the American Indian Center of Chicago that has worked with the Chicago Blackhawks organization to promote goodwill within the American Indian Chicago community.