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)
| As I read, I felt both pain and admiration. The systematic control over children’s life was distressing, but their determination to reclaim space within athletics was inspirational. It emphasized the significance of addressing both the negative effects of the residential school system and the strength of Indigenous communities in keeping their identity.
|
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 is a type of colonialism in which foreign settlers take over and ultimately dominate Indigenous territories to displace, replace, and eliminate Indigenous people. compared to extractive colonialism that exploits labour and assets while preserving Indigenous communities for monetary advantage, settler colonialism strives to eliminate and displace Indigenous cultures by:
|
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 appropriation often occurs when settlers copy and reuse Indigenous movements, ceremonies, or dance customs, such as transforming traditional ceremonies into performances for the public or athletic mascots, while removing their primary significance and historical context. Through doing this, colonists strive to create an illusion of connection to the land, validating their occupancy while undermining Indigenous sovereignty. This surface-level performative imitation strengthens the power of colonialism by transforming Indigenous practices into settler-dominated displays.
|
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.
| Residential school workers faked images to give the idea that the schools were harmless and transforming. As emphasized in The Absence of Indigenous Moving Bodies, these photographs frequently represented Indigenous children practicing sports like as hockey (The Skate) or engaging in organized activities, creating an appearance of structure, discipline, and assimilating ” achievement.” At the same time, the violent repression of Indigenous movements (dancing, rituals, and even free play) was deliberately removed from the subject matter.
The Witness Blanket’s narrative of The Skate illustrates this contradiction: although ice hockey was occasionally a source of enjoyment for Indigenous children, images of the sport were used by staff members to hide the institutions cruelty. The photographs were used as propaganda, perpetuating the illusion that residential schools were rescuing Indigenous children instead of damaging their traditions and sovereignty.
|
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.
| Indigenous guests in the video Sport is Medicine discuss how sport can be a powerful instrument for healing, cultural rebirth, and resistance. On a personal level, sports such as hockey, jogging, and lacrosse assist individuals in processing intergenerational trauma, particularly the legacy of residential schools, by developing resilience, self-worth, and good coping methods. Beyond physical health, sports promote mental and emotional well-being by providing routes to sobriety and emotional release. On a community level, team sports reinvigorate Indigenous values like as collaboration, joy, and collective power, overcoming colonialism’s isolation and division. Traditional techniques such as lacrosse (originally a Haudenosaunee healing ritual) and canoeing let people reconnect with ancestral wisdom, converting movement into spiritual grounding and cultural reclaiming. |
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 implies that regardless of efforts to support Indigenous athletes, the structure continues to be rooted in colonial systems, imposing the top down regulations instead of empowering Indigenous leadership, emphasizing mainstream sports over traditional games, and failing to tackle systemic barriers such as inadequate funding and insufficient accessibility. Instead of genuine collaboration, programs frequently demonstrate tokenism or assimilation, neglecting Indigenous expertise and empowerment in athletics. Her criticism advocates for a transition from bureaucratic, Western methods and towards genuine decolonial alternatives that prioritize Indigenous principles, sovereignty, and comprehensive social growth in sports. |
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 chose this image because it captures one of hockey’s most enduring symbols in the Canadian imagination, the outdoor rink, where the sport transcends competition and becomes a site of community, nostalgia, and shared identity. Frozen ponds, backyard ice sheets, and public rinks like this one are woven into Canada’s self-mythology, representing resilience (braving the cold), unity (neighbours passing sticks), and egalitarian joy (no fancy gear required). Hockey here isn’t just a game; it’s a ritual, a seasonal language spoken from childhood to old age. Yet, this symbolism often goes unquestioned. The rink’s “everyone’s welcome” idealism can obscure who’s not on the ice, Indigenous youth facing barriers to access, communities where hockey infrastructure is scarce, or sports like lacrosse that carry deeper cultural roots for many Indigenous communities. The image reminds us how hockey binds Canadians together, but also invites reflection.
|
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.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #89, which focuses on sports and reconciliation, has made significant but inefficient development since its introduction. This call for action explicitly requests the federal government to reform the Physical Activity and Sport Act to incorporate guidelines that promote physical activity as an instrument for reconciliation among Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. Although the call to action has not been officially altered, substantial actions have been made to follow the principle of this call for action. Organizations such as Sport Canada implemented mandates for national sports associations to include reconciliation dedications in their funding applications, and support organizations, such as Aboriginal Sport Circle, have increased their efforts to promote Indigenous-led programs. The North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) have become known as a strong instance of this effort. The Indigenous games integrate traditional athletic activities with contemporary competitive events, providing opportunities for creative social expression and developmental growth for children and adolescents.
At the community level, some programs are now integrating Indigenous culture and expertise within sporting events. Several local sports groups now include land acknowledgements, customary games, and Elder participation in their events. For example, several junior hockey associations have collaborated with Indigenous populations to incorporate traditional lessons into their practice training. Nevertheless, notable disparities persist, most notably disproportionate accessibility to athletic amenities and ongoing support for Indigenous-led initiatives in isolated regions.
Non-Indigenous communities and individuals can contribute to addressing these Calls to Action and reconciliation efforts in various ways. In particular, settlers may learn about traditional Indigenous sports and recreational historical events, challenge the government for more equitable standards in their local sports organizations, and economically and physically support Indigenous players and activities. Additionally, non-Indigenous people must set themselves aside to provide room for Indigenous voices in sports-related decision-making processes. The Calgary Marathon’s reconciliation run, that incorporates Indigenous rituals and administration, is an excellent example of how major contemporary athletic activities can properly embrace Indigenous cultures. The Calgary Marathon’s policy on reconciliation is a practical example of how sports associations might react to TRC Call to Action #89. Their shared dedication “We acknowledge that we live, work, run, and walk on land known by the Blackfoot name Mohkínstsis, which we also call Calgary…”, shows how land awareness may be combined with engagement. By incorporating this message into the race’s content and combining it with concrete initiatives such as the Reconciliation Run marathon illustrates how settlers can use sport to pay respect to Treaty 7 nations (Blackfoot Confederacy, Stoney Nakoda, Tsuut’ina, and Métis Region 3) while proactively confronting the destructive effects of colonialism. While the development of Call to Action #89 has been positive, persistent dedication across every department of government and sports organization will be essential to successfully achieve its goal of using sports as a tool for reconciliation and strengthening relationships.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/culture-spotlight-north-american-indigenous-games-halifax-1.6905777
https://righttoplay.ca/en/national-offices/national-office-canada/get-involved/indigenous-programs/
https://calgarymarathon.com/https://www.nhl.com/canucks/news/canucks-honoured-to-host-7th-annual-first-nations-celebration-presented-by-rogers
https://www.naigcouncil.com/
Feedback/Errata