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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)
- Reading Chapter 15 was eye-opening, especially how sports were used as a tool of colonialism to strip Indigenous children of their culture. It was deeply upsetting to see how something meant to be positive was weaponized for assimilation. It made me reflect on the lasting impact of this painful history.
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 ideology uses sport as a tool to promote social change and development. It focuses on improving health, education, and community cohesion while addressing social issues such as inequality, poverty, and violence through sports programs. The ideology emphasizes inclusivity and empowerment, particularly for marginalized groups, and works through community engagement and youth involvement.
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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 the appropriation of Indigenous cultural practices, including traditional body movements and ceremonies, by settlers who reframe them to fit their own needs or desires. Settlers often took aspects of Indigenous culture, like dance or sports, and adapted them in ways that removed their original meaning, turning them into something commodified or even “mainstream.” This process, described as “making settlers Indigenous,” essentially distorts and diminishes the true cultural significance of these practices, while still benefiting from their use.
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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.
| What values do we learn from different sports and games? Sports and games teach values like teamwork, resilience, and discipline, but the way they are introduced matters. In residential schools, sports were used as tools of assimilation, forcing Indigenous children to adopt European-Canadian ideals like obedience and competition. As The Skate highlights, sports became both a means of survival and a source of control. While some children found moments of joy and community, they also faced extreme pressure, punishment, and exclusion from mainstream sports. Understanding this history challenges the idea that sports are always neutral and reminds us that access, inclusion, and cultural identity matter in how sports shape communities. |
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.
| In the video, the speakers talk about how sport is more than just a game—it’s a way to heal, connect, and grow. It helps with physical health by keeping people active and preventing illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. But it’s just as important for mental health, giving people an outlet for stress and helping build resilience. Many also see sport as a way to reconnect with their culture, especially through traditional Indigenous games that strengthen identity and pride. Beyond the individual benefits, sport brings communities together, creating support systems, mentorship, and a sense of belonging. For some, it’s also a way to heal from the trauma of colonization and residential schools. It empowers Indigenous youth by teaching leadership, discipline, and perseverance, which are skills that go beyond sports and into everyday life. Overall, the video shows that sport isn’t just about competition; it’s medicine for the body, mind, and spirit.
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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 although there are efforts being made to support Indigenous sports, they are often shaped by non-Indigenous systems, values, and priorities. Instead of truly empowering Indigenous communities to lead and shape their own sports programs based on their cultures, traditions, and needs, the support often comes with rules, structures, and expectations that reflect a colonial mindset. This can feel like the government is still controlling or directing how Indigenous people should engage with sport, rather than supporting them in self-determined and culturally grounded ways. |
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.
| Hockey in Canada is often wrapped in symbols like the maple leaf, frozen ponds, and childhood nostalgia. These images create a powerful national story that ties the sport to Canadian identity, but they also leave out the histories and voices of Indigenous players who’ve long been part of the game.
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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.
Major Assignment:
