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These are difficult stories. We bear witness in this chapter to the role of sport in furthering the settler colonial projects throughout Turtle Island. Here are some supports to access in the community and from a distance:
First Peoples House of Learning Cultural Support & Counselling
Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwag Services Circle (Counselling & Healing Services for Indigenous Women & their Families) – 1-800-663-2696
Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre (705) 775-0387
Peterborough Community Counselling Resource Centre: (705) 742-4258
Hope for Wellness – Indigenous help line (online chat also available) – 1-855-242-3310
LGBT Youthline: askus@youthline.ca or text (647)694-4275
National Indian Residential School Crisis Line – 1-866-925-4419
Talk4Healing (a culturally-grounded helpline for Indigenous women):1-855-5544-HEAL
Section One: History
A) The Residential School System
Exercise 1: Notebook Prompt
We are asked to honour these stories with open hearts and open minds.
Which part of the chapter stood out to you? What were your feelings as you read it? (50 words)
| The part that stood out to me the most was Louise Moine’s memory of performing in a play and the pantomimes the girls staged. The way she described the lighting effects and how the girls posed to “Nearer My God to Thee” as “breath-taking and spectacular” really struck me. It showed how the students could still find beauty and pride in their performances, even in such a controlled and often harsh environment. I felt a mix of sadness and admiration. Sadness because these activities were often used to strip students of their culture and present them as “civilized” to settler audiences, and admiration for the students’ ability to create meaningful and moving artistic moments despite that. It’s heartbreaking that their talents were seen as a tool for assimilation, but powerful that their creativity still shone through.
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B) Keywords
Exercise 2: Notebook Prompt
Briefly define (point form is fine) one of the keywords in the padlet (may be one that you added yourself).
| Settler colonialism is when people from one country move to a new place and settle there, taking land and resources from the indigenous people who already live there. The settlers often push these people out or try to erase their culture. It’s not just about taking over for economic reasons, it’s about making the place their own, with their own laws, systems, and ways of life. The end result is that the original people are left marginalized, or sometimes completely wiped out.
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C) Settler Colonialism
Exercise 3: Complete the Activities
Exercise 4: Notebook Prompt
Although we have discussed in this module how the colonial project sought to suppress Indigenous cultures, it is important to note that it also appropriates and adapts Indigenous cultures and “body movement practices” (75) as part of a larger endeavour to “make settlers Indigenous” (75).
What does this look like? (write 2 or 3 sentences)
| This looks like settlers adopting certain aspects of Indigenous cultures, often in a superficial or distorted way, to make themselves feel more connected to the land they’ve colonized. It might involve adopting Indigenous practices or symbols, but in a way that strips them of their original context and meaning, turning them into something that fits settler narratives. This process helps settlers feel more at home while erasing the true cultural significance behind these practices.
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D) The Colonial Archive
Exercise 5: Complete the Activities
Section Two: Reconciliation
A) Reconciliation?
Exercise 6: Activity and Notebook Prompt
Visit the story called “The Skate” for an in-depth exploration of sport in the residential school system. At the bottom of the page you will see four questions to which you may respond by tweet, facebook message, or email:
How much freedom did you have to play as a child?
What values do we learn from different sports and games?
When residential staff took photos, what impression did they try to create?
Answer one of these questions (drawing on what you have learned in section one of this module or prior reading) and record it in your Notebook.
| Sports and games teach a variety of values, such as teamwork, discipline, and perseverance. They also help build a sense of competition, fairness, and respect for others. However, within the context of residential schools, sports were often used to enforce colonial values, prioritizing obedience and conformity over individual expression. These games became tools for the settlers to shape Indigenous children into what they viewed as “proper” members of society, often stripping away the cultural significance of play and instead imposing foreign values.
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B) Redefining Sport
B) Sport as Medicine
Exercise 7: Notebook Prompt
Make note of the many ways sport is considered medicine by the people interviewed in this video.
| Sport is seen as a form of healing in many ways by those who have experienced its impact. One individual described lacrosse as a way to connect with family history and find a sense of belonging. For residential school survivors, sports brought moments of joy and a way to cope with trauma. Playing helped build confidence and create connections after difficult experiences. Lacrosse, known as a “medicine game,” carries cultural significance, bringing people closer to their traditions while offering emotional and spiritual healing.
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C) Sport For development
Exercise 7: Notebook Prompt
What does Waneek Horn-Miller mean when she says that the government is “trying but still approaching Indigenous sport development in a very colonial way”?
| When Waneek Horn-Miller says the government is “trying but still approaching Indigenous sport development in a very colonial way,” she means that while there have been efforts to support Indigenous athletes, these efforts often do not align with Indigenous ways of organizing and developing sports. Instead of working directly with Indigenous communities to create programs that reflect their needs, values, and cultural traditions, the government tends to apply top down, Western style structures that may not be accessible or effective for Indigenous athletes. For example, many Indigenous communities, especially remote or fly-in ones, lack access to proper facilities, coaching, and funding, making it difficult for athletes to compete at higher levels. She is calling for a shift toward Indigenous-led development, where communities have more control over how sports programs are structured and funded. |
Exercise 8: Padlet Prompt
Add an image or brief comment reflecting some of “binding cultural symbols that constitute Canadian hockey discourse in Canada.” Record your responses in your Notebook as well.
| When I think of cultural symbols that constitute Canadian hockey discourse in Canada, I think about backyard rinks with kids skating under dim floodlights. It represents community, resilience, and the deep connection between hockey and winter culture as part of national identity. I think of this because it reminds me of when I was a kid and makes me feel very nostalgic as well as Canadian.
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Section Three: Decolonization
Please see the major assignment for this half of the term in the final section of this chapter.
