North American Indigenous Games North American Hockey Championships

Photo by Roxann Shapwaykeesic More than 400 Ontario athletes, coaches and chaperones observe the opening ceremonies at the 2008 North American Indigenious Games in Cowichan BC.

Marc Laliberté Contributor

Aboriginal Team Ontario (ATO), which is Ontario’s voice for Aboriginal sport, is inviting SEVEN readers (youth and adult alike) to submit their ideas, comments and submissions towards developing a Far North Strategy to promote healthy living through sport. As Ontario’s provincial aboriginal sport body, ATO is mandated to organize Ontario’s teams for the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC) and the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG).

ATO agrees with the following:

NAIG Mission Statement:

To 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.

Attending the NAIG or NAHC are difficult undertakings with large human resource needs and financial costs. Team selections, travel, registrations, equipment, uniforms, meeting, cultural delegations, are just a few of the many logistical hurdles ATO is dealing with.

These tasks must include an athlete and sport development plan for all our youth.

The difficulty is com-pounded by the distance and isolation challenges facing far north athletes.

ATO wishes to have more representation from Ontario’s far north, while promoting sport and recreation and improving access to healthy activities. We promote the benefits of healthy living through sport and recreation. We will develop athletes and leaders: introduce our youth to various NAIG sports through training, coaching clinics and camps.

Our vision includes providing healthy opportunities for all Ontario’s aboriginal peoples.

Some questions to consider are:

• to whom does the strategy apply? (all ages, all the north, far north/remotes, urban, community members, organizations...)
• what should be included in the strategy? (health & wellness, diet & nutrition, self-confidence/self-esteem workshops,  boot/fitness camps, clinics, workshops, hands-on, print materials, facebook, k-net blogs, media..)
• how can we implement the strategy?  (k-net, Facebook, media, face-face (timelines), school networks via teachers, health care, recreation, community members...) 
• what resources are needed? ($, staff, fundraising ideas, equipment , gear, facillities, political will, proposal writing,  technology, youth leaders/mentors, recreation workers, intergenerational council/advisors/working group for each community, part-nerships, focus groups ...)

Submit your ideas, and whether you wish to remain involved in seeing this initiative through to:

by email - atonorth@shaw.ca

or fax 807- 623- 2918
c/o Marc Laliberte, ATO

A member of Cowessess First Nation, Saskatchewan, career firefighter with the city of Thunder Bay, Marc has been involved as a volunteer with Ontario’s entries at NAIG since 1995 as an athlete, coach, board member, Chef de mission and lead organizer for Ontario attending the 2008 NAIG. Marc has remained committed to this effort, having  experienced the positive results that sports and specifically the North American Indigenous Games has had in the lives of aboriginal athletes, his family and himself.