Aboriginal Youth Unite This Week in Prince Rupert, B.C.

The 9th Annual Aboriginal Youth Conference called “Gathering Our Voices 2011” is currently taking place this week in Prince Rupert, British Columbia. This is an excellent opportunity to promote healthy living in Aboriginal communities as well as to provide education to Aboriginal youth on many important topics.

Hosted by the British Columbia Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, the conference is just one of the exciting initiatives focusing on youth as young as 14 years of age. The unique conference attracts close to 1500 Aboriginal youth from across Canada to participate in networking and leadership development opportunities focusing on areas of great relevance to them --- health, language, culture, employment, education, learning for life, and the environment.

This year’s conference, which runs from 21-24 March 2011, focuses on two themes. The first one is “A Vision of Our Future” which includes over 40 workshops, a career and education fair, cultural and recreational activities, social events and motivational speakers during the four day conference.

Some of the workshops that are arranged for the youth range include:

• Decisions, Choices and Consequences BEFORE and AFTER.”
• “Gitxsan Aerobics – Learn, Laugh and Love the Drum”
• “Honouring our Past to Protect our Future. Traditional tobacco use and commercial tobacco misuse.”
• “Back to the Roots with Holistic Nutrition”
• Indigeneous Games & Sports

The second theme of the conference is a “Health Challenge” contest. The goal is to challenge youth to increase their daily physical activity. Between22 November 2010 and 30 January 2011, teams or individuals logged their fitness participation on Activity Tracking Charts where the winners with the most active time will be awarded prizes this week.

For more information on Aboriginal sport and physical activity contact SIRC!

Third Time is the Charm. Regina Wins the 2014 NAIG!

The Saskatchewan capital city of Regina has been chosen to host the 2014 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) after two previous bid attempts in 2008 and 2011. The event will be organized in cooperation with the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) and the Metis Nation-Saskatchewan, along with the city and the provincial government.

The North American Indigenous Games is a multi-sport event involving indigenous North American athletes. Regina will be required to accommodate more than 10,000 people, including 6,000+ athletes, coaches and other support staff. The 16 sports for NAIG have a variety of divisions for age and gender, and sports range from archery and basketball to lacrosse and rifle shooting. Regina has already successfully hosted the 2005 Canada Summer Games, so the 2014 NAIG will certainly be able to benefit from those physical legacies left behind.

The Indigenous Games “improve the quality of life for Indigenous peoples by supporting self-determined sports and cultural activities which encourage equal access to participation in the social/cultural fabric of the community they reside in and which respects Indigenous distinctiveness.” The first Indigenous Games were held in 1990 in Edmonton, Alberta, followed by Games in 1993 (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan), 1995 (Blaine, Minnesota), 1997 (Victoria, British Columbia), 2002 (Winnipeg, Manitoba), 2006 (Denver, Colorado) and 2008 (Duncan, British Columbia). The 2011 Games were to be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but were canceled due to financial constraints.

Contact SIRC for more information on indigenous sport!

University of Alberta to Provide Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Certificate

The Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation and the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada have joined forces to offer a new certificate for students geared towards Aboriginal sport and recreation, starting the fall of 2011. The first of its kind in Canada, the program is designed to offer core courses from both faculties and will provide graduates with an enhancement to their degrees, expanding their knowledge in the field of Aboriginal Peoples’ health and wellness through sport and recreation.



Research shows that participation in sport and physical activity is an important factor in improving the mental and physical well-being of youth, and with the rapid growth in Aboriginal youth, these qualified students will now go into these communities with relevant skills and qualifications. Acknowledging that there is a great deal of culture that needs to be respected and understood, the university felt that the students needed to learn certain protocols in order to work in Aboriginal communities by knowing how to better handle cultural sensitivities.



The students will graduate with their degree, but now also with a certificate that will provide them with the precise tools to better enhance their leadership in the area of sport and recreation, specifically focused in Aboriginal communities, in so doing, creating more success. This certificate in Aboriginal sport and recreation is a timely addition to the academic programs on the Edmonton campus and is open to all students at the University of Alberta provided they can fit it in with their course of study, and their particular degree permits them to enroll in it.



For more information on Aboriginal education, health and fitness, please visit SIRC.

Diversity in Sport

SIRC Newsletter now available online: Diversity in Sport

The Canadian sport community has the opportunity to embrace our uniquely diverse population and actively strive for a multicultural and socially inclusive environment. Proactive sport organizations adopt a broad view of diversity and value it to its fullest extent. Ideally, this means going beyond merely removing barriers to participation but working towards ensuring that all participants are valued and respected.

Read more:  http://www.sirc.ca/newsletters/mid-mar13/index.html