Sports and reconciliation
Learn how the Government of Canada is responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action 87 to 91.
Based on data provided September 2023.
87. We call upon all levels of government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, sports halls of fame, and other relevant organizations, to provide public education that tells the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history.
Background
The Tom Longboat Awards were established in 1951 to recognize Aboriginal athletes for their outstanding contributions to sport in Canada. With a few exceptions, the Awards have been given out every year since its inauguration.
The Aboriginal Sport Circle, the national voice for Indigenous sport and a federally funded multisport service organization, has managed and presented Tom Longboat Awards since 1999.
With funding support from the Department of Canadian Heritage (Sport Canada), the awards relaunched in 2017. The Aboriginal Sport Circle is engaging with Canada's Sports Hall of Fame to continue to promote the Tom Longboat Award and other relevant recognition projects.
With funding support from the Department of Canadian Heritage (Sport Canada), the Aboriginal Sport Circle presents the National Indigenous Coaching Awards annually at the Petro-Canada Sport Leadership Gala, in collaboration with the Coaching Association of Canada.
As funding for the Aboriginal Sport Circle is due to sunset in 2026 to 2027, this Call to Action can be considered well-underway. The Call to Action will be considered completed if ongoing funding can be established at the end of this funding cycle.
Recent budget investments
Budget 2017 invested $18.9 million over 5 years, starting in 2017 to 2018, and ongoing funding of $5.5 million on a 4 year cycle thereafter to support Indigenous sport leadership and culturally relevant sport programming.
Budget 2022 continued that investment with $20 million over 5 years, starting in 2022 to 2023.
These investments include support to the Aboriginal Sport Circle for their operations and programming, including delivery of the Tom Longboat Award and National Indigenous Coaching Awards.
Recent progress
The 2022 award recipients formally received their awards at the 2022 Canada's Sport Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
The 2022 National Indigenous Coaching Awards Recipients formally received their awards at the 2022 Coaching Association of Canada Petro-Canada Sport Leadership Gala.
Next steps
The Aboriginal Sport Circle is engaging with Canada's Sports Hall of Fame to continue to promote the Tom Longboat Award and other relevant recognition projects. The 2023 awards will be presented in October 2023 during the Canada’s Sport Hall of Fame Order of Sport Awards ceremony. The Aboriginal Sport Circle presents the National Indigenous Coaching Awards annually at the Petro-Canada Leadership Gala, in collaboration with the Coaching Association of Canada. The 2023 awards will be presented in November 2023 during the Petro-Canada Sport Leadership Awards Gala, hosted by the Coaching Association of Canada.
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.
Background
The Government of Canada fully recognizes that expression through sport remains a key part of Indigenous identity. Since its inception in 1990, Sport Canada has been a steady funder of the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) hosting, team preparation and travel. This is consistent with the terms of the North American Indigenous Games Funding Framework.
The NAIG is a multisport event for youth 13 to 19 years old that showcases unity, sport, culture, youth, volunteerism and teamwork between First Nations, Métis, Inuit and non-Indigenous communities. The NAIG was founded on the principles of promoting healthy lifestyles, building self-image and promoting Indigenous role models through sport and culture.
With ongoing funding and a funding framework in place for the hosting of the North American Indigenous Games, this Call to Action is complete.
Recent budget investments
Budget 2017 invested $18.9 million over 5 years, starting in 2017 to 2018, and ongoing funding of $5.5 million on a four-year cycle thereafter, to support Indigenous sport leadership and culturally relevant sport programming. This includes $23.5 million every 4 years ongoing for the hosting of the North American Indigenous Games.
This also included $9 million for 5 years starting in 2017 to 2018 to provincial and territorial governments, through bilateral agreements, to increase the operational capacity of Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Bodies (PTASBs), increase the offering of culturally relevant sport programming, and supporting North American Indigenous Games team preparation and travel.
Budget 2022 announced $20 million in renewed funding over 5 years for Indigenous youth and sport, including the continued support for NAIG team preparation and travel through the bilateral agreements.
Recent progress
In October 2016, the NAIG Council, with the approval of the Federal-Provincial and Territorial Sport Committee, adopted a new hosting model for the games to be hosted in Canada every 4 years beginning in 2020. This previously alternated between Canada and the United States every 3 years.
For the NAIG beyond 2020, a new funding framework and hosting rotation will apply as approved in February 2019 by the federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for sport, physical activity and recreation.
Ministers agreed that:
- this hosting framework will apply beginning in 2024 and every 4 years thereafter
- the NAIG standard operating budget will range between $10 million and $14 million, with federal and provincial or territorial governments contributing a matching 35% of the agreed upon budget
The 2020 Games, set to be hosted in Halifax-Dartmouth Region and Millbrook First Nation, were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the NAIG Council had to review the hosting rotation.
Next steps
In April 2021, the Council approved a revised hosting rotation that would start in 2023 and maintain the 4 year interval moving forward.
In June 2021, Federal/ Provincial/ Territorial (FPT) deputy ministers endorsed the hosting rotation as approved by the Council and endorsed by the Standing Work Group on Indigenous Sport Development.
This change in the rotation required that the NAIG Funding Framework be updated to reflect the new dates. The revised framework will now apply starting with the 2027 NAIG (as opposed to the 2024 NAIG).
The next edition of the North American Indigenous Games, planned for 2027, were awarded to Calgary and Tsuut’ina Nation, Alberta at the closing of the 2023 Games in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
89. 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.
Background
Discussions with Indigenous sport organizations have concluded that this will be a longer-term effort, given that changes to legislation require consultation with other federal government departments in collaboration with the Aboriginal Sport Circle and Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
This Call to Action is in the planning phase, and will progress once the Aboriginal Sport Circle’s National Strategy for Indigenous Sport, Recreation, Physical Activity and Traditional Practice has been received.
Recent budget investments
The Government of Canada is investing $3.105 million over 2 years, starting in 2022 to 2023 to the Aboriginal Sport Circle for the development of a National Indigenous Sport Strategy.
Recent progress
Over fiscal years 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024, the Aboriginal Sport Circle will lead a national consultation process resulting in the development of a National Strategy for Indigenous Sport, Recreation, Physical Activity and Traditional Practice, funded by Canadian Heritage (Sport Canada). The strategy will be a framework for delivering culturally appropriate participant development, culturally informed engagement, and policy development for all levels of government. It will also include best practices for Indigenous and non-Indigenous sport, recreation, physical activity, health and wellness sectors. The Aboriginal Sport Circle also envision the strategy as providing a framework for the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Calls to Action, and particularly those focused on sport, i.e., Call to Action 87 to 91.
Next steps
Aboriginal Sport Circle is leading a national consultation process that will result in the development of the National Strategy for Indigenous Sport, Recreation, Physical Activity and Traditional Practice by March 31, 2024.
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.
Background
The Government of Canada is investing $18.9 million over 5 years, starting in fiscal year 2017 to 2018, and ongoing funding of $5.5 million every 4 years thereafter, to support Indigenous youth and sport initiatives in the following 4 areas:
- Indigenous sport leadership
- culturally relevant sport programming
- the North American Indigenous Games
- Sport Canada's data and research
More specifically, investments were allocated to:
- the Aboriginal Sport Circle to assume a greater leadership role on Indigenous sport development. This means having the capacity to assume and maintain a national leadership role on Indigenous sport including:
- to support the Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Bodies
- national sport organizations and multisport services organizations aligning their existing programming with the Indigenous Long-term Participation Development Pathway
- ensuring that a data strategy is developed
- provincial and territorial governments, through bilateral agreements, to increase the capacity and leadership of Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Bodies and the offering of culturally relevant sport programming including the North American Indigenous Games team preparation and travel
- national sport organizations and multisport service organizations to ensure long-term Indigenous athlete development and growth through increasing the offering of culturally relevant sport programming
As funding for the Aboriginal Sport Circle and the Provincial-Territorial bilateral agreements will go until 2026 to 2027, this Call to Action can be considered well-underway.
Recent budget investments
Budget 2017 invested $18.9 million over 5 years, starting in 2017 to 2018, and ongoing funding of $5.5 million on a 4 year cycle thereafter to support Indigenous sport leadership and culturally relevant sport programming.
Budget 2022 continued that investment with $20 million over 5 years, starting in 2022 to 2023.
Recent progress
The Aboriginal Sport Circle co-chairs, with Sport Canada, the Standing Working Group for Indigenous Sport Development under the Federal-Provincial/Territorial Sport Committee reporting to FPT ministers responsible for sport. This working group brings together Indigenous sport organizations and federal, provincial and territorial governments to identify Indigenous sport priorities and co-create action plans to address them, including in relation to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action.
The objective of the Standing Work Group on Indigenous Sport Development is to provide recommendations to drive F-P/T government action on the following:
- develop a sustainable strategy to promote the participation of Indigenous athletes, coaches and officials in the Canada Games across all sports
- develop an evaluation framework for assessing the impact of adding lacrosse to the 2022 Canada Summer Games program
- this was presented to Federal Provincial- Territorial Ministers for discussion in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island in January 2023, who agreed to include Lacrosse as a permanent sport on the Canada Summer Games program moving forward
In the 2023 to 2024 Sport Support Program guidelines for the National Sport Organization, and Multisport Service Organization and Canadian Sport Centre components, a section on Reconciliation initiatives was added under the Operations and Programming block to ensure that initiatives with the goal of advancing reconciliation are listed as eligible activities and expenses for reference-level funding.
Next steps
Current initiatives are underway with Budget 2022 investment over the next 5 years (starting 2022 to 2023).
The development of a sustainable strategy to increase Indigenous participation in the Canada Games is underway, through a contracted process.
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.
Background
Sport Canada has included this call to action in its documents shared with bid and host organizations and other partners that are responsible for developing or supporting major sport event bids both domestically and internationally. It is also included in Sport Canada's ongoing coordination to develop a national bidding and hosting framework for major sport events involving provincial and territorial governments, as well as other major events partners.
Recent budget investments
Budget 2017 invested $18.9 million over 5 years, starting in 2017 to 2018, and ongoing funding of $5.5 million on a 4 year cycle thereafter, to support Indigenous sport leadership and culturally relevant sport programming. This includes $3.5 million every 4 years ongoing for the hosting of the North American Indigenous Games. It also included $9 million for 5 years, starting in 2017 to 2018, to Provincial and Territorial Governments, through bilateral agreements, to:
- increase the operational capacity of Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Bodies (PTASBs)
- increase the offering of culturally relevant sport programming
- support North American Indigenous Games team preparation and travel
Budget 2022 announced $20 million in renewed funding over 5 years for Indigenous youth and sport, including the continued support for North American Indigenous Games team preparation and travel through the bilateral agreements.
Through the Hosting Program, Sport Canada invested $2.5 million towards the hosting of the Arctic Winter Games in Wood Buffalo, Alberta in January 2023.
Sport Canada is investing $1.681 million for the addition of the sport of lacrosse to the 2025 Canada Games in St. John's to increase Indigenous participation in the Canada Games.
Recent progress
Sport Canada is compiling lessons learned from recent events such as the First Nations-led BC2030 bid exploration and the 2022 Canada Games, to support the evolution of a collective approach to Call To Action 91.
Sport Canada, through a federal-provincial-territorial working group, helped to establish the renewed Strategic Priorities for the Canada Games, which include a set of collective expectations that Canada Games stakeholders will strive to achieve. Call to Action 91 was included as 2 expectations.
The addition of lacrosse to the 2025 Canada Games sport program and subsequent Canada Summer Games will help increase Indigenous participation as well as enhance Indigenous culture and inclusion at the Games.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Heritage Canada has reached out to National Indigenous Organizations to begin discussions at the national level about possible opportunities for 2026 FIFA World Cup. This collaboration would contribute to the priorities and interests of Indigenous peoples and communities across the nation. Discussions will continue at both the national and local levels to support participation of Indigenous peoples and communities in the event.
Next steps
The Major Sport Event Coordination Group is seeking to work with event parties and Indigenous peoples to determine a consistent baseline approach for respecting and measuring Call to Action 91. A baseline approach across Canada will foster the consistent, effective, and respectful participation of Indigenous peoples with regards to major sport event projects. Engagement with Indigenous communities, likely starting with National Indigenous Organizations, is required in order to develop this approach and these measures.
2026 FIFA World Cup
The Impact and Legacy themes that have been endorsed by the host cities of Toronto and Vancouver, as well as the province of British Columbia and Government of Canada includes an Indigenous Reconciliation element which will strive to ensure Call To Action 91 is achieved through the planning and delivery of the event.
Canada Games
The progress towards achieving Call to Action 91 through the Canada Games will be assessed after each Games once meaningful measures have been established.
The Major Sport Event Coordination Group is working closely with CIRNAC and Heritage Canada's Reconciliation and Treaties Branch to develop content for National Indigenous Organization (NIO) meetings related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2030 Commonwealth Games.
Reconciliation working groups are being developed related to the FIFA 2026 and potential 2030 Commonwealth Games bid to ensure Indigenous involvement in all aspects of planning and delivering these events.
North American Indigenous Games
The next edition of the North American Indigenous Games, planned for 2027, were awarded to Calgary and Tsuut'ina Nation, Alberta at the closing of the 2023 Games in Halifax, Nova Scotia.