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Sport & Reconciliation  – A Path to Reconciliation for NB Coaches

We at Sport NB are committed to practicing active allyship with the Indigenous Peoples and Communities of New Brunswick. We will continue our work to address the Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Calls to Action specifically actions 87-91. Below we have identified specific steps for New Brunswick coaches to take within these Calls to Action to move forward in reconciliation.

#87 – We call upon all levels of government, in collaboration with Aborigional peoples, sport hall of fame, and other relevant organizations, to provide public education that tells the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history.

How : 

  1. Follow Indigenous-based news and events. Make it a weekly priority for you and your athletes to share with each other at practice. 
  2. Contact Aboriginal Sport and Recreation New Brunswick (ASRNB)  & sign up for the Aboriginal Coaching Module (ACM).
  3. Learn and share about past Indigenous athletes, coaches, officials, and sport developers in your sport. Visit Indigenous Sport History.  
  4. Get to know NB Sports Hall of Fame’s Indigenous honoured members &  Sport Ambassadors.
  5. Honour current Indigenous athletes in your sport and encourage them to apply or nominate them for the many Indigenous and non-Indigenous Awards.
  6. Give space for your athletes to self-identify as Indigenous for resources and support.
  7. Educate yourself on NB’s Indigenous Summer Games and Atlantic Indigenous Games and encourage Indigenous athletes who are eligible to participate.
  8. Encourage your Indigenous athletes to try out for North American Indigenous Games teams (NAIG) or to volunteer to be a part of Team NB’s NAIG Team.  
  9. Get involved with our friends at Aboriginal Sport & Recreation New Brunswick.
  10. Connect with a First Nation community near you!

#88 – We call upon all levels of government to take action to ensure long-term Aboriginal athlete development and growth, and continued support for the North American Indigenous Games, including funding to host the games and for provincial and territorial team preparation and travel. 

How : 

  1. Help us, and advocate to your local, provincial, and federal governments to continue to fund provincial and territorial team preparation, travel and the hosting of the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG). To learn more about NAIG visit here.

#88 – We call upon the federal government to amend the Physical Activity and Sport Act to support reconciliation by ensuring that policies to promote physical activity as a fundamental element of health and well-being, reduce barriers to sports participation, increase the pursuit of excellence in sport, and build capacity in the Canadian sport system, are inclusive of Aboriginal peoples. 

How : 

  1. Understand the barriers of your athletes and what restricts them from participating in sport and find ways to overcome those barriers. (Travel Barriers, Financial Barriers)
  2. Encourage and aid athletes in pursuing excellence in sport but always remember that the health and well-being of the athlete comes first. 

#90 – We call upon the federal government to ensure that national sports policies, programs, and initiatives are inclusive of Aboriginal peoples, including, but not limited to, establishing:

  • In collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, stable funding for, and access to, community sports programs that reflect the diverse cultures and traditional sporting activities of Aboriginal peoples. 
  • An elite athlete development program for Aboriginal athletes.
  • Programs for coaches, trainers, and sports officials that are culturally relevant for Aboriginal peoples.
  • Anti-racism awareness and training programs. 

How: 

  1. Take the Aboriginal Coaching Module and participate in anti-racism and cultural awareness training when possible.
  2. Advocate for an elite athlete development program for Indigenous athletes. 
  3. Engage with the Canada Games Aboriginal Apprentice Coach Program (AACP)
  4. Become a Mentor with the Women & Girls Mentorship Program

#91 – We call upon the officials and host countries of international sporting events such as the Olympics, Pan Am, and Commonwealth games to ensure that Indigenous peoples’ territorial protocols are respected, and local Indigenous communities are engaged in all aspects of planning and participating in such events. 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

This document is designed to be read in conjunction with the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action. For a copy of this and other resources please contact:

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation

http://nctr.ca/about

Land Acknowledgment:

Territory Acknowledgement

From Native Governance Centre (https://nativegov.org/a-guide-to-indigenous-land-acknowledgment/)

A guide to acknowledge First Peoples & Territory from Canadian Association of University teachers.

Books:

  • Tom Longboat by Bruce Kidd
  • Reclaiming Tom Longboat: Indigenous Self-determination in Canadian Sport by Janice Forsyth
  • Aboriginal Peoples and Sport in Canada (Janice Forsyth & Audrey Gilles)
  • All our Relations – Tanya Talaga
  • This Place: 150 Years Retold
  • From the Ashes – Jesse Thistle
  • Speaking our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation
  • The Reason You Walk: A Memoir – Wab Kinew

Podcasts:

Several podcasts with Indigenous themes were recently launched during National Indigenous History Month — a time for learning about, appreciating and acknowledging the contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

  • This Place, the bestselling graphic novel anthology that tells 150 years of Canadian history through Indigenous stories, is now available as a podcast by CBC Books.  Listen via CBC website
  • Telling our Twisted Histories is an 11-episode podcast series that reclaims Indigenous history by exploring 11 words whose meanings have been twisted by centuries of colonization. Listen via CBC website
  • The Secret Life of Canada is a podcast about the untold and undertold history of Canada. This spirited and sometimes irreverent show highlights the people, places and stories that probably didn’t make it into your high school textbook. Listen via CBC website
  • An intriguing five-part podcast in which Governor General award-winning author David A. Robertson dives into his family’s history and mysteries as he discovers and connects with his Cree identity. Listen via CBC website
  • A podcast about a young man’s journey to understand his Indigenous identity. Since the day he was old enough, Jeremy knew he was different. A mix of Woodland Cree and white European heritage, he has experienced life through both vantage points – as well as the stereotypes. Join 19-year-old Jeremy Ratt on a journey of self discovery as he seeks to understand his roots and all of the distinct “pieces” that form who he is today. Listen via the CBC website

Websites:

Online Courses:

Films:

Radio: 

Others: