Honouring the Truth Reconciling for the Future

354 • Truth & Reconciliation Commissiondown the original runners, apologized, and thirty-two years later, as men in theirfifties, those runners finished that 400 metres and brought the torch in.…Sport is a place that we speak a universal language—a language of sharedpassion for moving our bodies through time and space, with strength and skill.This summer [2014], Regina will host the North American Indigenous Games.…Let us all hope, and commit to reconcile divisiveness, racism, and stereotypesthrough the world of sport and support each and every young person attendingthose games. Because they are the frontrunners of the future. 258Such stories are indicative of the need for the rich history of Aboriginal peoples’contributions to sport to become part of Canadian sport history.On November 18, 2014, we attended an event hosted by the Law Society of UpperCanada to celebrate the first time an Aboriginal community—the Mississaugas ofthe New Credit First Nation—was to be the Host First Nation for the Pan-ParapanAmerican Games, held in Toronto in July and August of 2015. The FrontRunnersattended and were honoured in a traditional blanketing ceremony. 259Calls to Action87) We call upon all levels of government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples,sports halls of fame, and other relevant organizations, to provide public educationthat tells the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history.88) We call upon all levels of government to take action to ensure long-termAboriginal athlete development and growth, and continued support for the NorthAmerican Indigenous Games, including funding to host the games and for provincialand territorial team preparation and travel.Aboriginal youth today face many barriers to leading active, healthy lives in theircommunities. They lack opportunities to pursue excellence in sports. There is littleaccess to culturally relevant traditional sports activities that strengthen Aboriginalidentity and instill a sense of pride and self-confidence. Lack of resources, sportsfacilities, and equipment limits their ability to play sports. Racism remains an issue.Aboriginal girls face the extra barrier of gender discrimination. 260 Despite the manyachievements of individual Indigenous athletes, too many Aboriginal youth remainexcluded from community-based sports activities and the pursuit of excellence insport. The Physical Activity and Sport Act (2003) set out the federal government’s sportpolicy regarding the full and fair participation of all Canadians in sport, and mandatedthe minister to “facilitate the participation of under-represented groups inthe Canadian sport system” (S. 5.m). However, the Act made no specific reference toAboriginal peoples. 261