What stood out to me the most in the reading was how sports were used in residential schools as a tool for control and assimilation. As someone who sees sports as a source of joy and health, it was upsetting to learn that Indigenous children were forced to participate in them as part of a colonial agenda. It made me realize how even something as simple as a game can be twisted into a method of erasure. Reading about the trauma, punishment, and lasting harm these children experienced was both heartbreaking and frustrating. It’s a powerful reminder of the deep and ongoing impact these systems still have on Indigenous communities today.
4
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)
|
|
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).
| Sport for development is the idea that sports can do more than just entertain, they can help make the world better. It’s about using sports to support things like health, education, and equality, especially in communities that face challenges. It focuses on creating positive change through playing and teamwork. |
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)
| Settlers picking and choosing parts of Indigenous culture, like certain dances or ceremonies, and using them without really understanding what they mean. It feels like a way for settlers to feel more connected to the land, while ignoring the harm and history behind it. It comes off as disrespectful, even if it’s not meant to be. |
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 have always taught me values like teamwork, patience, and confidence. Reading The Skate made me see how those same activities were used so differently in residential schools. Instead of being fun or empowering, sports were forced on Indigenous children as a way to control and erase their culture. That really stuck with me. It’s hard to imagine something I love being turned into something harmful. It reminded me that the values we learn from sports depend a lot on the environment and the purpose behind them. For Indigenous kids in those schools, sport wasn’t about growth, it was about fitting into a system that didn’t respect who they were. |
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.
| After watching the video, what really stood out to me was how deeply sport is connected to healing for many of the people interviewed. They spoke about sports, especially lacrosse, not just as a game but as medicine, something that helps heal emotional, mental, and even spiritual wounds. I was really moved by how one person described it as a gift from the Creator, meant to bring people together and restore balance. It was not just about winning or being competitive, it was about connection, community, and culture. I never thought about sport in that way before. For them, playing was a way to honour their ancestors, process pain, and rebuild strength. It made me think differently about how powerful sport can be, especially when it’s rooted in something meaningful. |
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’s pointing out that, despite good intentions, the system is still built on colonial foundations. It often involves top-down control, prioritizes Western sports over traditional Indigenous games, and doesn’t do enough to remove deeper barriers like poor funding or lack of access. Instead of truly working with Indigenous communities, many programs feel more like symbolic gestures or efforts to fit Indigenous athletes into existing systems. Her comments call for a real shift, one that moves away from colonial structures and embraces Indigenous-led approaches that support sovereignty, cultural practices, and long-term community well-being through sport. |
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.
|
This image brings back memories for me because it looks just like my own childhood. I grew up skating on a outdoor rink right beside my house like this one, surrounded by snow, bundled up in layers, and playing hockey with friends and family. It was not about winning or being the best, it was about fun, connection, and tradition. This scene reflects the deeper cultural symbols often tied to Canadian hockey: community, togetherness, and resilience. The frozen pond is not just a place to play, it’s part of a national story that celebrates hockey as more than a sport. For me, it was where I learned teamwork, joy, and a love for winter. |
Section Three: Decolonization
Please see the major assignment for this half of the term in the final section of this chapter.
