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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)
| One part that stood out was on page 361, where sports were linked to manliness, excluding girls since their “primary role” was motherhood. As a female athlete, this angers me, as sports benefit everyone’s development, mental and physical health, and denying women access based on sexist beliefs is frustrating. |
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).
| The concept of Muscular Christianity, defined by British writer Thomas Hughes, emphasized the strength gained through sport and its role in fulfilling God’s purpose for humanity. This belief supported the idea that students in residential schools should have access to sports as a means of physical and moral development. However, it is also important to highlight that allowing sports was also used as a tool of assimilation. |
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 can be seen in how settlers adopted Indigenous activities like canoeing, snowshoeing, and lacrosse, integrating them into their own recreational and sporting traditions while often stripping them of their original cultural significance. For example, the reading talks about how Lacrosse is known as a Canadian sport and that its Indigenous roots are often ignored. I did not even know this until this module. |
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, what impression did they try to create?
Residential school staff used photographs as a form of propaganda to create a positive public image of the schools. They tried to create the impression that their students were great athletes. Eugene said, “The missionaries used us. The missionaries liked to show off these kids from the residential school” (Skate). They captured images of students participating in sports and other activities to reassure parents that their children were engaged in structured programs, encouraging compliance with the system. These photos also served to showcase the school’s success in assimilation efforts, reinforcing the colonial agenda by portraying Indigenous children as conforming to Western norms (Chief Justice Murray Sinclair et al.). |
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 considered a form of medicine by many Indigenous people interviewed in the video, offering healing, connection, and personal growth. Aidan Baker describes sport as a gift from the Creator, helping him navigate life’s challenges and move forward with reconciliation. Aidan also describes how sport allowed the survival of language through his grandpa, as he and others spoke their Indigenous languages so opponents couldn’t understand. William Nahanee compares sport to therapy, which is how he sees sport as medicine. Dr. Chief Robert Joseph reflects on how sporting moments were the happiest times in residential schools, emphasizing its role in Indigenous well-being and personal progress. The Treadwell family shares how sport has helped their daughters succeed in school and life, serving as a release from external struggles and a source of strength. |
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”?
| Waneek Horn-Miller suggests that although the government is attempting to support Indigenous sport development, it continues to approach the issue through a colonial perspective. This means the government often implements solutions without genuinely engaging Indigenous communities or fully considering their unique cultural contexts, geographical challenges (like remote, fly in communities), and practical needs. While funding has been provided, she argues that money alone isn’t enough, as it must be combined with culturally appropriate and collaboratively developed plans that ensure accessibility and genuine opportunities for Indigenous athletes and children. |
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.
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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.
Longer Prompt Answer:
Call to Action 87 calls upon the government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples and relevant organizations, to educate the public about the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history. While there is still work to be done, several steps have been taken toward fulfilling this Call.
One step that is identified is the establishment of the Tom Longboat Awards in 1951, which recognize the outstanding achievements of Indigenous athletes across Canada. These awards continue today in collaboration with the Aboriginal Sport Circle, which has also partnered with Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame to amplify the visibility of Indigenous athletes and promote national recognition projects.
Financial investments have also supported these efforts. Budget 2017 committed $18.9 million over five years, with ongoing funding of $5.5 million every four years, specifically to enhance Indigenous sport leadership and culturally relevant programming. Further commitment came in Budget 2022, which allocated an additional $20 million over five years.
Progress is evident in the formal recognition of Indigenous athletes and coaches at high-profile national events. For example, the 2022 Tom Longboat Award recipients were honoured at Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, and the 2022 National Indigenous Coaching Awards were presented at the Coaching Association of Canada’s Petro-Canada Sport Leadership Gala. Most recently, the 2024 awards were presented during the Aboriginal Sport Circle’s National Summit, continuing the tradition of celebrating Indigenous excellence in sport.
Going forward, the Aboriginal Sport Circle and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame are working together to expand these recognition initiatives. Individuals, especially settlers, can contribute by giving these celebrations the same attention and respect as mainstream events, such as the NHL draft. Settlers can also contribute by taking the initiative to learn about Indigenous sports history, learn about and support Indigenous athletes, and share this with friends and family to help tell the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history.
