8 Chapter Four: Decolonizing Sport
Rebecca Redfearn
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)
| Within this chapter there were several topics that stood out, but the most significant was how indigenous children in residential schools were either restricted form or outright excluded from recreational activities. This contrast between limited play and forced labor was a unsettling. Reading this chapter brought out feelings of frustration and sadness for those in the past as as it emphasized the deep injustices faced by the indigenous children in these so called schools.
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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).
| Turtle Island
The name from Indigenous culture that refers to North America/Earth. It comes from the Indigenous story of creation. Many animals tried to bring dirt from the bottom of the ocean to create land, however this was extremely difficult and they failed. However a supernatural being named Nanabush placed the soil on the back of a turtle and began to form land. It signifies the spiritual and cultural beliefs of Indigenous history as well as highlights the deep appreciation they have for nature
Turtle Island. (n.d.). https://deadlystory.com/page/culture/articles/World_s_Indigenous_Peoples_Day/Turtle_Island |
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 examples such as lacrosse. Lacrosse is first traced to the 12th century when Indigenous groups played in a way that celebrated the deeply spiritual and ceremonial traditions of the game. When adopted by settlers it became appropriated and lost a large amount of its cultural significance.
History – World Lacrosse. (2023, October 12). World Lacrosse. https://worldlacrosse.sport/the-game/origin-history/ |
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?
The unique quality of sports and games is the ability to teach values such as teamwork, perseverance, discipline, and respect. However when looked at through the lens of residential schools, sports were a way for leaders to gain control of the children rather than empower them. While there was some joy and resilience gained by the children through play the rigorous, structured facilitation of play that was utilized in residential schools simply reinforced the ideas of hierarchies in colonialism instead of providing a place for enjoyment and fostering a desire for self-expression.
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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.
| Lacrosse, game of medicine
Provided a way of pride through speaking their language to communicate in games Boxing is a form of therapy Softball helped provide relief, helped in school and life Helped keep young people together as they grew up Sport is a gift from the creator Help germinate the idea of “we are all one”
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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”?
| It is suggested that even though the government has made efforts toward reconciliation and supporting Indigenous sport development it can still be applied to a colonial framework that still lacks the focus on Indigenous perspectives and needs. It is also suggested that Western programs and policies will still impose the competition structure funding, and governance that is by and for Western culture. Instead of recognizing the traditions in Indigenous games, their values, and leadership. For true reconciliation within sport there is a need for initiatives and approaches that are community driven rather than through government control. |
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.
The iconic Canadian symbol, the outdoor rink, from frozen ponds to rivers through town, it is a symbol of the deep connection Canada has with sport as well as representing the resilience, perseverance, and community found within Canadian culture.
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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.
| Steps taken
Ways that #88 has been implemented in government have been at the federal, provincial, and territorial levels. They have supported Indigenous sports programs through funding athlete development and the North American Indigenous Games Council (NAIG). As of February 2025 the Government of Canada invested $24.2 million towards indigenous led programs with the intention of expanding access to sports and physical activities (Government of Canada, 2025) This funding has supported Aboriginal Canadians through collaboration with the Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC) by developing programs that focus on mentorship, athlete training, and coaching by and for Indigenous individuals. Programs such as the Indigenous Coaching Program is an example of this implementation of programs How we can contribute There are many ways that communities and individuals can assist in contributing to the Calls of Action. For #88 ways to support Indigenous sport is by rising awareness for Indigenous sport, this could be through supporting community or government policies that work to provide resources and funding to Indigenous sport programs. People can also support by attending and engaging in Indigenous sporting events which will raise awareness and appreciation to the events and traditions. Finally, by creating inclusive spaces in neighborhood sports bars or schools the
Aboriginal Sport Circle. (n.d.). Aboriginal Sport Circle. https://www.aboriginalsportcircle.ca/ CyanAdmin. (n.d.). Indigenous coaching. Coaching Association of Canada | Association Canadienne Des Entraîneurs. https://coach.ca/sport-safety/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/indigenous-coaching Government of Canada (2025) https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/news/2025/02/government-of-canada-investing-242-million-in-indigenous-sport-programs-to-empower-first-nations-inuit-and-metis-communities.html
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