Chapter Four: Decolonizing Sport

Kelly McGuire

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)

The one part of the chapter that stood up to me was the survivor explaining the loss of their identity, culture and language. It is so sad to read about the feelings and abuse they endured in the past century. I feel the deep sense of anger and despair in their life. However, I feel happy for their sense of resilience and bravery to share their stories.

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).

Keywords: Culture Genocide

The term culture genocide refer to the destruction of the culture, tradition, language of a group of people, communities or nation.
Culture genocide was the method Candaian government used toward Indigenous children in residential schools
Indigenous children were forced to abandon their language, culture, identity and tradition.
They would only learn European culture.
Culture genocide was used in the 1960 (Sixies Scoop) by Social worker.

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)

Settler Colonialism would seize Indigenous culture by taking their tradition without proper credit or recognition. Examples include using the indigenous symbols as a tool of fashion, sports, or entertainment while the indigenous communities struggle to receive any form of basic human rights. This method attempts to make settlers feel a connection to the land while ignoring the ongoing struggles and history of the indigenous people.

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.

Chosen Question: When residential staff took photos, what impression did they try to create?

The residential school board took photos of indigenous children to create the illusion of happy indigenous children within their school.
These images hide the true reality of neglect and abuse of indigenous children.
Propaganda to the Indigenous communities that residential school is the best school. However, the school promote culture genocide and the erase their identity.

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 medicine due to its benefit with mental health, fosters a sense of community and restoring cultural pride. Physical activity helps individuals by providing health from generational trauma.

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 states that indigenous sport development approaches in a colonial way because of policy, politics, and programs were designed by a non-Indigenous nation without the approval of the indigenous communities. The government would not give a indigenous people a chance to create their own sport tradition and structures.

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 represent the core culture of the Canadian Hockey. The picture represent the acknowledgement of the indigenous communities as a first people to arrive in Canada. The image also represent how Canadian hockey values the Maple leaf, reindeer and beaver in Canada

Section Three: Decolonization

Please see the major assignment for this half of the term in the final section of this chapter.

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