One key symbol in Canadian hockey discourse is the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast. This symbol has become synonymous with Canadian culture, representing a weekly tradition where families, friends, and communities gather to watch the game together. It’s more than just a TV program; it embodies national pride, unity, and the deep-rooted love Canadians have for the sport. For many, it’s a time to celebrate local talent, root for the national team, and engage in the shared experience of hockey. However, while Hockey Night in Canada is a unifying cultural event, it also reflects the mainstream, predominantly white, narrative of Canadian hockey. Indigenous players, their contributions, and their cultures are often marginalized or overlooked in this space, which highlights a gap in how the sport’s symbols can sometimes exclude diverse voices and stories within the larger Canadian hockey narrative.
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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)
| What stood out to me was how many students were stuck in first grade for years, with little chance to progress. It was upsetting to see how the system failed them, and it made me feel angry and helpless knowing how much potential was wasted in such an oppressive system.
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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 in Canadian Indigenous history refers to the process where European settlers moved to Canada and took over Indigenous lands with the intent of permanently occupying and controlling them. This system aimed to erase Indigenous cultures and ways of life through methods like displacement, violence, forced assimilation, and policies such as residential schools. The goal was to establish a new settler society while marginalizing Indigenous peoples. |
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, such as traditional clothing, ceremonies, and even body movements, by settlers who adopt them without fully understanding or respecting their meaning. By doing so, settlers can romanticize or commercialize Indigenous culture, while still maintaining control over the land and people, distorting the original practices for their own purposes. |
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.
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When residential school staff took photos of Indigenous children playing sports, they were trying to create an image that everything was fine and that the schools were doing good things. The pictures of kids playing hockey or skiing were meant to show that they were adapting to the “Canadian way” of life, learning discipline and obedience through sports. The idea was to make it look like the children were thriving in these schools and being given opportunities to succeed in mainstream Canadian culture. However, these photos didn’t tell the full story. As Eugene Arcand pointed out, the missionaries used these pictures to “show off” the kids’ success in sports, but they completely ignored the fact that the children were suffering from neglect, abuse, and the loss of their culture. The photos were a way to cover up the reality of what was happening, making the schools seem beneficial when they were actually causing deep harm. For many kids, sports were a way to cope and survive in the residential schools. They worked together to develop skills and find pride, even though they were often excluded from mainstream leagues and opportunities. These photos were used to paint a false picture of success while ignoring the trauma the children went through. In the end, the photos tried to create a narrative of progress and achievement, but they were just a tool to cover up the harmful truth of the residential school system. |
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 peoples often find medicine in sport by using it as a way to heal, connect, and resits the trauma caused by colonization. In residential schools, sports became a form of survival, where kids could build pride, create solidarity with others, and momentarily escape the harsh conditions. Even though sports were sometimes used as a tool of assimilation, indigenous athletes found strength in competing and excelling, turning it into a way to reclaim their power, express resilience, and maintain cultural pride. Its a way of taking back something that was meant to erase their identity and using it to heal and grow. |
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 while the government is making efforts to support Indigenous athletes, they’re still doing so through a lens that doesn’t fully respect or understand Indigenous cultures. The approach is often focused on mainstream systems and structures that don’t take into account the unique values, traditions, or needs of Indigenous communities. Instead of empowering Indigenous people to lead and develop their own sports programs based on their own cultural frameworks, the government is still imposing a colonial mindset that limits true self-determination and cultural relevance in sport. |
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.
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Section Three: Decolonization
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 88 urges the Canadian government to support Indigenous athlete development by funding the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) and ensuring long-term growth opportunities for Indigenous athletes. While progress has been made, this call has only been partially fulfilled. One major step in fulfilling this action is the consistent government funding for NAIG. In 2017, the Government of Canada committed approximately $19 million over five years to support Indigenous youth participation in sport, with a portion dedicated to NAIG. The games provide a competitive and culturally significant space for Indigenous youth to showcase their athletic abilities while celebrating their heritage. The 2023 NAIG in Halifax received additional federal and provincial support, which highlights the continued investment in Indigenous sport. Additionally, initiatives like the Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC) have been crucial in fostering Indigenous athlete development. The ASC provides coaching programs, leadership training across Canada. Additionally, national sports organizations have begun integrating Indigenous cultural elements into their programming, such as Hockey Canada’s Indigenous hockey programs and the National Lacrosse League’s partnerships with Indigenous communities. However, more work is needed. Settlers and communities can contribute by supporting Indigenous-led sports organizations, volunteering at events like NAIG, and advocating for equitable funding in youth sports programs. Schools and local sports clubs can also integrate Indigenous perspectives into their programming, ensuring representation and inclusion. By actively engaging with these organizations and programs, Canadians can help create a more inclusive and supportive environment for Indigenous athletes, bringing Canada closer to fully addressing Call to Action 88.
Sources
Government of Canada. (2017). Investments in the Games. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/indigenous-games/investments.html
Aboriginal Sport Circle. (n.d.). Aboriginal Coaching Modules (ACM). Retrieved from https://www.aboriginalsportcircle.ca/aboriginal-coaching-modules
Government of Canada. (2017). Toronto 2017 North American Indigenous Games. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/indigenous-games.html
Indigenous Services Canada. (2024). Sports and reconciliation. Retrieved from https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1524505883755/1557512006268
