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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 in this chapter was the section on Military and cadet training because of the concept of military type training for residential schools, which were led by local officials. I found it extremely disturbing that this would be the go-to form of training. Schools are supposed to be a place where children are supposed to feel safe to grow and learn, but officials made residential schools a place to instill fear into the kids. |
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).
Cultural assimilation is the process by which a group of individuals, such as indigenous people, are forced to adapt to the customs and norms of a dominant group, such as Western society. In this picture, we see 3 indigenous kids on the left who are dressed in their traditional clothes, however, they were forced to adapt the Western values. On the right, we can see they were forced to cut their hair, wear western clothes and even adopt western manners. |
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)
| Although settlers would strive to strip indigenous people of their traditions and values, they would also try to adopt indigenous culture and appropriate it. For instance, when using military training, they would incorporate parts of indigenous style training, but would force them to forget its original meaning in order to incorporate the Eurocentric views of it, this allows settlers to claim the land as their own. |
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.
| When residential staff took photos of the indigenous kids playing sports, they were trying to create this image of a fun environment. This fooled people into believing that indigenous people were being treated in a supportive way, however, they were being forced to play these sports in order for them to gain the European values and ways of life, all while being forced to forget their own culture. |
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.
| Aidan Baker: He thinks of sports as medicine because it brings him closer to his grandfather, who is a residential school survivor
William Nahini: He thinks of sports as medicine because boxing helps him deal with his trauma of being in a residential school Chief Robert Joseph: He thinks of sports as medicine because he is a survivor of a residential school who played soccer and baseball Sports were a distraction for many in residential schools, or a place where they could be happy and speak their language, it was like therapy.
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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”?
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When Waneek Horn-Miller says this, I believe she means that yes, Canada is striving to support the development of indigenous sport development, but their approach to this still comes from a Western framework, and these approaches exclude important factors such as indigenous voices and experiences. In order to do this, she mentions how this development should come from an indigenous led community in order to ensure that indigenous practices are being understood. |
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.
I chose this picture to represent a cultural symbol that constitutes Canadian hockey discorse in Canada because this shows one of the most important periods in Canadian history. This was the winning goal in the Canada vs USA 4-nations hockey game. Although this is a very recent moment this was a moment where Canada needed a win to represent what we have been through as a country and how no one can take that away from us. This was also a time where hockey fans and none hockey fans came together not only for the sport but also for the country, to show our pride and our strength. |
Section Three: Decolonization
Please see the major assignment for this half of the term in the final section of this chapter.
