What We Heard

On Thursday, June 29, 2023, we had the opportunity to welcome Anthony Quititch from the Manawan Sports and Recreation Department, as well as Christina Béland-Racine and Martin Gill from the Odanak Community Health Centre. They shared with us their vision of sports, physical activities, and traditional practices in their respective communities.

For them, sport encompasses many aspects such as sport, whether individual or collective, fitness, as well as moments of gathering that allow them to build social ties and improve well-being. The two communities agreed on several points, including the development of partnerships with Indigenous institutions, Quebec sports federations, and the search for sponsors to fund events.

These exchanges provided the framework for a brainstorming and ideation session for participants to better understand their needs and the realities of other communities. We warmly thank our three participants for dedicating their time to this enriching and hopeful session for the future.

It was a pleasure and an honor to meet the EEYOU ISTCHEE Sports and Recreation Association team in Gatineau on June 27, 2023, during their annual meeting. We discussed the realities of Cree communities in terms of sports, physical activity, and traditional sports.

During our exchanges, we discussed several important topics. First, we talked about coach training, which is crucial for coaching activities. Then we discussed the price of sports equipment, which can be a financial challenge for many communities. Finally, we emphasized the importance of distance as a limiting factor for participation in competitions, given the vast territories of Cree communities.

Another key aspect of our discussions was the importance of integrating a cultural approach into sports. We have understood that culture and sport are closely linked in Cree communities, and it is crucial to consider them as an inseparable whole.

We were warmly welcomed by the team and members present at this meeting. Their generosity was even manifested through gifts they gave us to express their gratitude for taking the time to listen to them.

It was an enriching experience and we are grateful to have been able to exchange with the EEYOU ISTCHEE Sports and Recreation Association on these important topics.

The Iqaluit Listening Session took place on June 5^th in Nunavut’s capital. Participants were hosted at the Parish Hall within the city centre. There were approximately 20 participants from a variety of organizations and regions of the territory. Members of Nunavut’s land claim organization, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, were present, as well as sports and recreation staff from the Government of Nunavut. There were various staff from non-profit organizations, territorial sports organizations (TSO), youth athletes, as well as Youth Ambassadors. The regions and hamlets represented include the Kivalliq region (Baker Lake and Arviat), Qikiqtaaluk (Kinngait and Iqaluit) and Kitikmeot (Cambridge Bay). During the four-hour session, we collected feedback on sports, recreation, physical activity, and traditional practices.

The Rankin Inlet Listening Session was completed June 7^th at the Katimavik Suites meeting room. Five individuals were engaged – a long-time recreation leader, Government of Nunavut sports and recreation staff, and a representative from both the Kivalliq Inuit Association and the Nunavut Literacy Council. The participants were from Rankin Inlet and Baker Lake, both within the Kivalliq region.

The PT lead and PT coordinator engaged participants at both sessions in the following topics:

• Sports, recreation, physical activity, and traditional practices available to you
• Sports, recreation, physical activity, and traditional practices not available but would like to see
• Barriers to participation in sports, recreation, physical activity, and traditional practices
• Solutions to address the barriers to participation
• Defining what a safe, welcoming environment looks or feels like
• How sport, physical activity, recreation, and traditional practices can be used to advance participation and wellness
• What type of information is needed to help support knowledge of Indigenous sport, physical activity, recreation, and traditional practices
• Changes to the programs and future development of programs related to sport, physical activity, recreation and traditional practices in the short/medium/long term
• Regional and territorial considerations for developing a National Strategy
• Needs related to implementing a National Strategy with an identification of where the gaps are

The resulting discussion with participants focused predominantly on challenges and barriers to participation in the territory, the solutions available to meet these challenges, territorial considerations for the National Strategy, and, lastly, the narrative surrounding sports, competitive sports, and recreation.

In both sessions, it was noted that others need to engage in the discussion across Nunavut and particularly the smaller communities where the barriers could be different and more significant. The PT lead and coordinator are hopeful that broader engagement may be achieved through a Nunavut-specific virtual session and/or other National virtual sessions scheduled to take place before the end of June. Invitations will be widely circulated and shared with those who have already provided their input so that the opportunity for further engagement is broadcasted across the territory.

The main themes identified through both Listening Sessions can be summarized in the following three categories:

Collaboration

Stress was placed on the need for collaboration and cooperation amongst all partners including non-profits, TSOs, funders, land claim organizations, District Education Authorities, hamlet governments, Nunavut government divisions (Family Wellness, Sports and Recreation, Justice, Culture and Heritage, and Health), and recreation coordinators to allow for efficient and effective delivery of programs and services related to sports, recreation, physical activity, and traditional activities across the territories. These partners are working in silos rather than synergistically. All parties involved have the same goals of improving the lives of Inuit, communities, regions, and the territory.

Equity

Creating equitable access to sports, recreation, physical activity, and traditional activities was discussed and identified as an integral component in addressing barriers among Inuit children, youth, young adults, and communities in accessing and participating. To have equity across the hamlets, there must be grass root development at the community level supported by all levels of government, funders, non-profits, TSOs, and territorial Inuit organizations.

The primary focus, given limited resources, is on competitive sports. Of note, Nunavut has produced many talented athletes, such as the territory’s hockey team that won the territory’s first gold medal at the Arctic Winter Games (source) and last year an Inuk athlete was awarded a gold medal in wrestling at Canada’s Summer Games (source). One of the participants at the Iqaluit session is also a Loran Scholar and recognized short-track skater (source). However, other forms of recreation are not always given as much funding and attention but is noted as critical for developing leadership and other life skills and is key to wellness and adopting healthy lifestyles for the longer term.

Investment

To support the pillar of equitable access, long-term investment is required. Nunavut’s 25 hamlets each employ a recreation coordinator to support community health and wellness through sports, recreation (identified as a large component), physical activity, and traditional practices. These recreation coordinators are underfunded, under supported, and undervalued positions within a majority of the hamlets, leading to burnout. More training, experience, and mentorship is needed to set these coordinators up for success. Moreover, an increase in compensation would hopefully promote more community members to engage in training for this role and build the value and recognition of this role within the hamlet.

These two sessions were insightful and valuable and offered a plethora of constructive ideas and actions to address challenges and barriers in the development and delivery of programs and services related to sports, recreation, physical activity, and traditional activities.

Thank you to the Government of Nunavut Sports and Recreation division staff for all your support with organizing, facilitating, translating, and participating in the Listening Sessions. Thank you to the Youth Ambassadors, NTI representatives, RPAN and NANPO staff, hamlet recreation leader, youth athletes, and other participants for joining and engaging with us in this valuable discussion.

Connect with us!

https://indigenousinmotion.ca/participate

On June 1, Lowa and Nathan, the engagement team for Alberta, had the honour of interviewing René Bourque regarding developing the future Indigenous National Strategy for Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity, Recreation, and Traditional Practices.

During their discussion, he shared his early years growing up in Lac La Biche, Alberta, where he began playing hockey as a youth. He shared his experiences as a youth to coaching his children today. His NHL career included playing with the Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, then the Anaheim Ducks, the Columbus Blue Jackets and finally the Colorado Avalanche, finishing in the NHL in 2017 after playing in 725 NHL games. Today, René continues his charity work for youth and Indigenous communities across Canada.

Thank you, René, for sharing your insight, personal experience and expertise! We appreciate your time and contribution to the National Strategy.

On May 29, Nathan and Lowa, the engagement team for Alberta, had the honour of interviewing Wacey Rabbit regarding the development of the future National Strategy for Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity, Recreation and Traditional Practices.

Wacey Rabbit from the Kainai Nation is a former professional ice hockey centre who played in the American Hockey League (AHL) and is the current assistant coach of the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League (WHL).

Thank you, Wacey, for sharing your insight, personal experience and expertise! We appreciate your time and contribution to the National Strategy.

On May 3, the Indigenous in Motion team met with 12 people in George Gordon First Nation to talk about their experience in sport, the opportunities and barriers to participation and their vision for the future. Community members, youth, parents, athletes, the recreation coordinator, Prairie Central staff and Tribal Council staff joined in the discussion. People shared many positive and heart-warming memories of playing baseball, hockey, golf, and volleyball in the First Nation, on regional teams and nationally. Rosie Cyr, a student athlete and champion in volleyball and softball and a “Sport It’s More Than a Game” Ambassador with Sask Sport, was home for the summer and joined the conversation to share her experience as an elite athlete.

The group shared the value of sports as a safe place for youth to go after school hours and how popular the rink is in the First Nation. As a natural rink it has a limited season, and it is not available year-round. The group shared how valuable it would be to have access to facilities year-round. High travel costs to train and to participate in regional teams and low levels of parental support were barriers to youth participation in organized sport activities. The group shared challenges in their community resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic that continue and have reduced participation in sport and recreation, as well as ongoing addiction issues. The link between staying active and being engaged in healthy activities and mental health was an important part of the conversation. The group hopes that the National Strategy could support overall wellness by increasing access to healthy activities.

Thank you to everyone who sat in circle with us and shared their experiences!

If you want to share your ideas about a National Strategy for Indigenous Sport, Recreation, Physical Activity and Traditional Practices please participate here.

On January 12, 2023 an In-Person Listening Session for the National Strategy was held in Surrey, BC. The session was hosted in collaboration with the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (ISPARC) – the Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Body for BC, as part of their annual Regional Engagement Meetings.

During the session, we had the opportunity to hear from nearly 25 participants inclusive of Indigenous community members local to the area, representatives from BC-based sport, physical activity, recreation and traditional practices organizations, and representatives from other Indigenous organizations with an interest in sport, physical activity, recreation, and traditional practices who were interested in sharing their thoughts and experiences to serve as input into the National Strategy.

There was a significant focus on the need for capacity-building within communities to enable the sustainability and quality of programming for Indigenous participants to access. It was also noted that the National Strategy would need tangible actions and initiatives that could be implemented by “on-the-ground” sport, physical activity, recreation, and traditional practices leaders, as well as clearly defined accountabilities.

We would like to thank all those who participated in the Listening Session – your feedback and input is greatly appreciated and valued as it will help to inform the National Strategy. We would also like to thank ISPARC for recognizing the importance of the National Strategy and adding it as an agenda item to their Regional Engagement Meetings to ensure local voices are heard.

If you would like to learn more about the National Strategy and/or share your voice, please visit our website: https://indigenousinmotion.ca/

On October 27, 2022, the first in-person Listening Session to collect input towards the National Strategy was hosted in Terrace, British Columbia. The session was held in collaboration with the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreational Council (ISPARC), the Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Body for British Columbia. During the four-hour session, feedback was collected from approximately forty participants, inclusive of Elders, recreation directors, athletes, coaches, community recreation and wellness coordinators, leaders of sports associations, and representatives from Indigenous organizations, all with an interest in the planning, facilitation, and/or participation in sport, physical activity, recreation, and traditional practices.

During the session, key areas of discussion included how participants would define sport, physical activity, recreation, and traditional practices, what barriers or challenges exist to participation, what participants would like to see moving forward, and what is needed (in terms of resources) to implement a National Strategy on Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity, Recreation, and Traditional Practices (National Strategy).

The feedback collected through the discussion is extremely valuable as it will help to inform an understanding of the current state of Indigenous sport, physical activity, recreation, and traditional practices, and what needs to be included in the National Strategy to meet the needs of Indigenous people across Canada and address some of the challenges and barriers preventing access today.

The first session was an informative and insightful experience that fueled the momentum and excitement to continue sessions both within British Columbia and across Canada, where there will be an opportunity to hear even more stories from a diverse range of interested parties.

We would like to thank ISPARC for organizing the event and providing the time for discussion on the National Strategy, as well as all the participants who attended the session, shared their stories and provided valuable input that will feed into the development of the National Strategy.

The project is in Phase 2: Current State Assessment and we are now conducting engagement sessions. To get involved in the project, you can participate here!