Canadian Race Relations Foundation Glossary of terms

Coach education through Indigenous perspectives

Prioritizing Indigenous voices is key for sports organizations designing coach education. Collaborative design can enhance cultural pride and support coach development by incorporating Indigenous culture and history. Using traditional methods like storytelling and mentoring, collaborative design aligns with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, promoting Indigenous-led education and decolonizing coaching practices.

Benefits of traditional physical activities for indigenous youth

On Indigenous Peoples Day, it’s crucial to recognize the significance of traditional physical activities for indigenous youth. In a recent review, researchers found that engaging in traditional physical activities helped youth feel connected to their land and community while supporting the development of healthy habits. This highlights the importance of integrating traditional physical activities in…

Beyond sports: USask Athletics fostering Indigenous inclusion and empowerment

In 2018, the Saskatoon Residential School Survivor Circle supported the request of the Huskie Cross Country team’s desire to race in orange singlets in honour of Residential School Survivors and the thousands of children who never made it home. This tradition continues today and has evolved to include all visiting athletes choosing to wear orange…

Indigenous peoples, the environment and occupations

In Indigenous cultures, the state of the environment is highly valued as it is often regarded as interconnected with human health. Poor environmental conditions, as seen today, is negatively impacting occupational participation, which is participation in everyday activities, for indigenous peoples. Because of this, indigenous peoples are limited in what physical activities or sports they…

Indigenous youth and sport research

For indigenous youth, having access to sport programming centered in culture and community is important. A recent research study centered on indigenous youth and sport showed that they want to be involved in the research process and offer many unique and valuable perspectives. Sport researchers need to consider how they can engage communities in research…

Nature games: Traditional Indigenous games and environmental stewardship in Oceania 

View the summary of this research here. This project aimed to understand the development of environmental stewardship through gameplay in Indigenous societies. The South Pacific has many similarities to Canada in terms of Indigenous-settler relations, colonial histories and a resurgence in reconciliation efforts, and climate action. Indigenous traditional games, played in nature, with natural implements,…

A better way to do sport? Exploring the Indigenous Engagement Program’s* impact on cultural awareness and safety, Indigenous cultural inclusion, and reciprocity among U SPORTS teams 

*Note that the Indigenous Engagement Program was previously called the Front Runner Project, but we are no longer using the latter name.  Introduction and Context Equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts are becoming commonplace among sport organizations.  It is not uncommon, however, for efforts to be superficial and short-term.  This project aimed to examine the learning…

50 years of Indigenous sport in Canada: An overview of 2 key advancements and challenges

‘Girls’ Pole Push Competition at the Dene Games Competitions’, Arctic Winter Games 2010, Grande Prairie Alberta, March 2010 (Photo: Michael Heine) Imagine what sport in Canada might look like had Indigenous peoples and their cultures not been colonized? Imagine how Canadians might understand who they are and their relationship to each other if Indigenous sports…

Anything is Possible: Using Ringette to Support Physical Literacy in the North

Sport is a vital opportunity for communities in the Northwest Territories (NWT) to stay active and social, particularly during the winter months when daylight is limited and temperatures are frigid. Sport offers a reason for people to come together and keep moving.   It was for these reasons, plus a desire to better serve Indigenous communities…