4 Chapter Four: Decolonizing Sport
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)
| what stood out to me was that survivors found solace in sports when they were going through these atrocities. like Christina Kimball who credited her involvement in sports as a crucial factor in her survival. reading these stories made me very sad and guilty feeling about what indigenous peoples faced at the hands of colonizers, but it also makes me admire their resilience, and their use of sports as a temporary escape.
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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
a distinct form of colonialism where the settlers/newcomers claim indigenous land to live on permanently, and seeks to displace indigenous peoples and erase indigenous presence, and establish their own governance and laws, invalidating the existing indigenous systems, essentially taking over indigenous land and resources, and making systems to dominate and oppress the indigenous peoples.
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C) Settler Colonialism
Exercise 3: Complete the Activities
If colonialism is typically temporary, settler colonialism is not temporary
In contrast with colonialism, in settler colonialism, settlers form lasting attachments to the land*.
Settler colonialism often grows out of colonialism.
What is the role of sport in settler colonial projects?
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Controlling the bodies of indigenous peoples
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Appropriating the body cultures of Indigenous peoples.
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 indigenous activities like canoeing, snowshoeing, or traditional songs and dances. settlers appropriating these activities strips them of their original cultural and spiritual meanings. essentially, redefining indigenous activities and identities within settler narratives.
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D) The Colonial Archive
Exercise 5: Complete the Activities
How does the archive play “an essential role in reinforcing colonial narratives about Indigenous-settler relations?”
1. Most photos were taken for official reporting reasons and therefore “connote meanings tied to church and state objectives” (51).
2. Images curated to suggest “a sheltered and productive school environment” that was “efficient, well-managed, and orderly” created a false familiarity for readers who are invited to superimpose their own educational experiences onto what they see” (51)
3. Widely circulating generic images convey a sense that faces are interchangeable and erase individual Indigenous identities(61)
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, they were trying the create the impression that residential schools were just like normal schools. they often staged pictures with well dressed, smiling children engaged in activities and sports. these pictures were to create the impression that these schools were building kindness and success, masking the realities of abuse, neglect, and cultural erasure/assimilation practices.
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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.
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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”?
| she means that although there are efforts to include indigenous representation, these initiatives often fail to address the systemic barriers and cultural contexts unique to indigenous communities. an example of this she talks about is the 2010 winter Olympics in Vancouver where there were events to celebrate indigenous art and culture, but there were few indigenous Olympians present. this highlights the superficial inclusion that doesn’t translate into meaningful participation or leadership opportunities for indigenous athletes. to combat this Waneek advocates for the creation of a sustainable national indigenous sports system that allows for greater physical activity and lifelong athletic participation among indigenous peoples, and she references initiatives in New Zealand that have successfully included indigenous peoples in the Olympic movement as models for Canada to consider. essentially what she’s calling for is sport development that moves beyond tokenistic inclusion and actively dismantles colonial structures, empowering indigenous communities. |
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 think outdoor ice rinks are a binding Canadian cultural symbol. it shows us out in the cold together playing hockey surrounded by nature, and i think it symbolizes unity, ruggedness, and pride, often associated with Canadian identity. but i think it also leaves out the importance of indigenous views and narratives, as they’ve often been left out of these discussions.
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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.
Read the TRC’s 94 Calls to Action specific to sport again. Choose one of the Calls to Action that have been answered in full or in part and in 300 words explain the steps that have been taken to fulfill them and provide specific examples of what this looks like. Also reflect on how communities and individuals (particularly settlers) can contribute to addressing these Calls to Action.
call of action 88 which called for governments to ensure long-term Aboriginal athlete development and growth, and continued support for the North American Indigenous Games, including funding to host the games and for provincial and territorial team preparation and travel, has been addressed. it’s been addressed through federal investments, funding framework, and collaborative hosting models. in 2017 the government of Canada allocated a budget of $18.9 million over 5 years for indigenous sport leadership and North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) support, and in 2022 the budget renewed for $20 million for 5 years. on top of this $9 million was given to provincial (and territorial) governments to strengthen provincial aboriginal sport bodies and fund team preparation and travel. the NAIG and the governments decided on a standard 4 year hosting cycle from 2020 onwards (although the 2020 games had to be cancelled due to COVID-19) to ensure consistency and planning certainty. in July 2023 the 10th NAIG took place in Halifax, showcasing indigenous culture, excellence, and unity. the games hosted over 5,000 athletes from 756 indigenous nations, competing in 16 sports, with three of which being traditional indigenous sports (canoeing, lacrosse, archery). these events recognize indigenous excellence and share cultural pride through sport. the assembly of first nations has recognized call of action 88 as being complete, noting that the NAIG funding framework and hosting supports are fully in place. individuals (especially settlers) can help address this call of action by volunteering and attending at NAIG events, or even just attending local indigenous sport events to learn about the culture and significance of traditional games. communities can help by having community sports clubs or universities partner with the aboriginal sport circle or provincial aboriginal sport bodies to deliver culturally relevant programs and mentorships. through these combined efforts, on the individual, community, and government levels, call of action 88’s vision continues to advance.
