Decolonizing Sport by Janice Forsyth and Others

In Decolonizing Sport, edited by Janice Forsyth, Christine O’Bonsawin, Russell Field, and Murray G. Phillips, the authors tackle several topics to provide a better understanding of how sports, Indigenous peoples, and settler colonization intersect. While Decolonizing Sport contains some references to how sports historians can better understand the issues around Indigenous sport participation, the book also contains material of interest to a broader population. Though primarily focussing on sport, Decolonizing Sport puts a lens on many issues related to settler colonization.

The book is divided into five main sections: Storytelling, The Nature of Archives, Rights and Reconciliation, Settler Colonialism, and Resistance and Activism. Introductory and conclusion chapters are included, and endnotes provide references for the material cited.

Decolonizing Sport is wide-ranging both in theme and geography. Topics explored include the impact of Indigenous mascots on Indigenous people, raising the profile of Indigenous athletes, sports in the residential school system, and sports participation as a form of resistance to colonialism. Many of the studies, including John Reid’s “Canoe Racing to Fishing Guides: Sport and Settler Colonialism in Mi’kma’ki” and Robert Kossuth’s “Transcending Colonialism? Rodeos and Racing in Lethbridge,” are rooted in Canada. Others, like Gary Osmond’s chapter on sport and resistance in Aboriginal settlements in Australia and Michelle M. Sikes’ discussion of “Masculinities and Movement Cultures in Kenyan Running History,” depict situations further afield, making this volume one of global rather than regional interest.

Some of the authors are Indigenous or have connections to Indigenous communities. For example, Janice Forsyth is a member of the Fisher River Cree Nation and Christine O’Bonsawin is a member of the Abenaki Nation of Odanak. Bios lists most of the authors as being in the academic world, with a number of them, not surprisingly, specializing in kinesiology or sports history. Other research and academic interests of the book’s writers include settler colonialism, anti-imperialistic politics and workers’ rights, and socio-cultural intersections of sport and society.

Some of the authors make links back to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and its 94 Calls to Action. Victoria Paraschak, for example, writes about her project to enter information about the feats of Indigenous athletes in Wikipedia, as an effort to address Call to Action #87, whose focus includes providing public education that tells the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history.

In “More than a Mascot: How the Mascot Debate Erases Indigenous People in Sport,” Natalie Welch, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, writes about her experiences with the use of Indigenous mascots. While much of the literature surrounding the mascot issue has been written by non-Indigenous people, this chapter redresses that problem.

A chapter titled “Witnessing Painful Pasts: Understanding Images of Sport at Canadian Indian Residential Schools,” by Taylor McKee and Janice Forsyth, is powerful as well, warning readers of the dangers of taking the photos of athletes at residential schools at face value. The authors give the example of Eugene Arcand, who showed a photo of an Indigenous hockey team to a cousin who attended a residential school. The cousin, in turn, told him that the photos were staged, in that the new-looking equipment and uniforms were never actually used by the team. The chapter also discusses the double-edged nature of sport in the residential schools. Though sport provided some residential school students with enjoyment and an escape from their otherwise often harrowing daily lives, it was also intended as a tool of colonization, to replace Indigenous traditions and pastimes with those of settler society.

In “Beyond Competition: An Indigenous Perspective on Organized Sport,” Brian Rice writes about traditional teachings rooted in Anishnabé culture, and how they are embodied in sport. He also notes that Anishnabé teachings encourage a cooperative ethos in sport, rather than the competitive and individual achievement focus of Western sport. When studying Indigenous sport participation, he argues, it is important to consider that there are different approaches to sport participation.

John Reid’s chapter about settler colonialism in Mi’kma’ki discusses how Indigenous people were forced to abandon their traditional hunting and gathering practices by the pressures of ever-increasing settlement of their lands. Some Mi’kmaw people opted to labour for wages in the forestry and seafood industries, while others used sport to earn money. Canoe races, running races, crafting hockey sticks, and serving as fishing and hunting guides were all ways in which Mi’kmaw people leveraged sport for income.

In a chapter about researching Indigenous involvement in sport, the authors point to the imperialistic slant of many archives. Many facts about Indigenous athletes are captured in oral traditions rather than in print and therefore are missing from traditional archives. When they are in print, stories and photos about Indigenous sports participation are often obscured by the veil of settler colonialism. To truly understand Indigenous sports participation, it is necessary to ask deeper questions and to look below the surface. Indigenous perceptions and values surrounding sport and sport participation must also be understood.

In the chapters cited and others, authors expose painful truths lurking beneath the surface. And yet, there is an overarching sense of optimism. Even in the chapters that deal with dark or difficult topics, there is room for hope.

As someone who studied sports history both in my undergrad years and as a grad student, I believe Decolonizing Sport will be instructive reading for researchers who wish to provide a full, accurate, and inclusive picture of sport participation through history. Sports journalists, individuals involved with sports halls of fame, and archivists might also find points to ponder here. Even beyond that audience, Decolonizing Sport provides a window for those looking to broaden their knowledge about settler colonialism and its impact on the reality, and the perception, of Indigenous sport participation.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Fernwood Publishing (Nov. 2 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1773636340
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1773636344

Lisa Timpf

Website

Lisa Timpf is a retired HR and communications professional who lives in Simcoe, Ontario. Her writing has appeared in New Myths, Star*Line, The Future Fire, Triangulation: Habitats, and other venues. Lisa’s speculative haibun collection, In Days to Come, is available from Hiraeth Publishing. You can find out more about Lisa’s writing at http://lisatimpf.blogspot.com/.