Bev Beaver facts for kids
Beverly Beaver (1947 – April 19, 2025) was a talented Canadian athlete. She was a Mohawk woman from the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Canada. Beverly was famous for being great at fastball, hockey, and bowling.
She was born to Reg and Norma Henhawk. Beverly had seven brothers and sisters. She played sports professionally from 1961 to 1994. Beverly learned her amazing skills by playing with boys when she was young. At just 13, she was a key player on a boys' hockey team! She only played on Native fastball teams. However, she played on other teams for hockey and bowling. Beverly won many awards, including the Regional Tom Longboat Award in 1967 and the National Tom Longboat Award in 1980. Some of her hockey items are even in the Hockey Hall of Fame!
Fastball Skills
Beverly Beaver was a star pitcher for the Ohsweken Mohawks. This was an all-Native fastball team. She was known for being excellent at both pitching and hitting the ball. In 1980, her team, the Mohawks, played in a big tournament. It was the National Indian Activities Association women's softball tournament in Oklahoma. Beverly was the pitcher, and her team won five games in a row! They took home first place in the tournament.
Even though a non-Native team, the Toronto Carpetland, asked her to join, Beverly chose to play only on all-Native softball teams. She really admired the Ohsweken Mohawks. She said they showed the true spirit of sports. They did this without needing players from outside their community.
Hockey Career
Beverly played professional hockey for almost 30 years. She competed within the Euro-Canadian sports system. She played for teams like the Burlington Gazettes and the Brantford Lady Blues. In 1990, the Brantford Lady Blues won the Ontario Ladies Hockey League Championships. Beverly and her daughter were both on this winning team!
Bowling Achievements
Beverly was also a fantastic bowler. From 1969 to 1974, she had a very high average score for women. She also achieved a "high triple score" almost every year during that time. In 1973, she earned a "high triple score" at the Ontario Indian Bowling Championship.
Awards and Recognition
Beverly Beaver earned many awards during her long sports career. As a fastball player, she won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award eight times between 1962 and 1980. In 1979, she was named best pitcher, top batter, and MVP at the Canadian Native Championship. For hockey, she won five MVP awards and five top scorer awards from 1966 to 1980.
A very special honor was receiving both the regional and National Tom Longboat Awards. These awards celebrate top Indigenous Canadian athletes for their achievements in sports. Beverly received the Regional Tom Longboat Award for Southern Ontario in 1967. In 1980, she won the National Tom Longboat Award. She was nominated by Tom Longboat Jr. In 1995, she was added to the Brantford and Area Sports Hall of Recognition. In 2018, the Hockey Hall of Fame put her hockey jerseys and badges in its diversity exhibit. This recognized her amazing 40-year hockey career.
