Sport and Indigenous Children and Youth
The primary target audience of the Hope and Health Initiative is our Indigenous children and youth (up to age 29), inclusive of those whom are living away from home and/or out of their home community involved in the foster care system.
We exist to bring access to sport for development and social impact opportunities to our youth and to develop in community coaches so all may benefit from our “champions for life” holistic development model.
The Risks
Indigenous children and youth are the most vulnerable members of Canadian society, impacted by multiple challenging social determinants of health which result in them being over-represented in foster care, at higher risk for suicide, addiction and domestic violence.
Current research indicates the following realities for Indigenous children and youth:
There are currently over 4,450 Indigenous Children and Youth living in Foster Care in BC.
That’s over 52% of the foster child population, when Indigenous children are only 8% of the BC child population.
Suicide rates for Indigenous youth are 6 times higher than for those of non-Aboriginal youth.
The high-school dropout rate for Indigenous students is 2 times the rate for non-Indigenous students.
Indigenous female youth are 3.5 times more likely to experience violence than their non-Indigenous counterparts.
The Obstacles
The limited research that focuses on the impact sport and physical activity has on Indigenous youth suggests Indigenous youth experience many challenges accessing sports systems because of Euro-Canadian structures and values (Strachan, McHugh, Mason, 2018; Halas et al, 2012; Gardam, K., Giles, A., Hayhurst, 2017). Burners et al (2016) data suggest many Indigenous youth experience constraints to participating in sports such as experiencing racism, economic barriers, and marginalization. Also, Bruner et al (2015) and Halas et al (2012) both argued Indigenous youth living on reserve face barriers to physical activities to do infrastructure and equipment implications. For example, Halas et al (2012) stated “of Canada’s 803 on reserve schools, only 49 percent were in good condition with fully operating gymnasiums… and often closed after school” (p. 188). Many Indigenous youth are unable to attend sport or recreation groups due to financial barriers and/or lack of transportation.
The Opportunity
According to Mason et al (2018) youth who partake in sports and recreation reduces the risk of addictive behaviors, and improves children and youth’s mental health. Recent studies showed that participating in sports related activities can have many benefits for children that contribute to greater academic achievement (Manson et al, 2018), improved psychological functioning, and create stronger peer relationships (McHugh et al, 2019).
McHugh et al (2019) suggested the impact of sports on Indigenous youth creates a positive effect because it allows youth the opportunities to explore their identity, develop initiative, learn to control their emotions, and acquire social skills which leads to resiliency building in Indigenous youth.
Research by Lavallée and Lévesque (2013) stated Indigenous youth that partake in organized sport groups have proven to be beneficial as sport teaches youth personal and social values such as courage, respect and honestly. Indigenous youth who partake in sports show a higher rate of building resiliency compared to those to do not (Strachan, McHugh and Mason, 2018, p 299). This may be a result of positive relationship building. Being part of a sport or recreation group allows for youth to build positive connections with coaches and friends due to encouragement that was given to them (Strachan, McHugh and Mason, 2018).
Increased sport and physical activity also allows for youth to build confidence and develop a stronger sense of self.
“I think there are a lot of things that soccer does in the communities that transcend the soccer field.”
Sport has the ability to make significance contribution to reducing youth suicide in Indigenous communities (Tatz, 2012). For example, the research by Tatz (2012) highlighted sport as a protective factor against suicide showing statistics that stated “As sports participation increases, the odds of suffering from depression decreases by 25%, while the odds of having suicidal thoughts decreases by 12%” (p. 927).
Indigenous youth…continue to experience intergenerational trauma and must overcome enormous challenges to succeed in different spheres of their lives. Indigenous youth will shape and inherit the results of Canada’s reconciliation agenda and play an important role in rebuilding relationships. They are key drivers of social and economic outcomes, and their voices are ensuring that no new generation of Indigenous youth is "left behind".
Canada’s Indigenous population is not only young, but the fastest growing population of young people in the country come from First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. The number of Indigenous youth aged 15 to 30 increased by 39%, compared to just over 5% for non-Indigenous youth from 2006 to 2016. -Canada’s first State of youth report: for youth, with youth, by youth
A list of Educational Resources compiled and refreshed annually by Hope and Health HERE
Links to Reports
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/state-youth/report.html#a6b
Aboriginal Children in Care, Report to Canada’s Premiers 2015
The Educational Attainment of Children in Care in British Columbia
Diabetes Mellitus in the First Nations Population of British Columbia, Canada
Pathways to the Overrepresentation of Aboriginal Children in Canada’s Child Welfare System
Social Capital and Youth Suicide Risk Factors in First Nations Communities
References
Aguiar, W. & Halseth, R. (2015). Aboriginal peoples and Historic Trauma: The process of intergenerational transmission. Prince George, BC: National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health
Bruner, M. W., Hillier, S., Baillie, C. P., Lavallée, L. F., Bruner, B. G., Hare, K., . . . Lévesque, L. (2016). Positive youth development in Aboriginal physical activity and sport: A systematic review. Adolescent Research Review, 1, 257–269. doi:10.1007/s40894015-0021-9
Fast, E. & Collin-Venzina, D. (2010). Historical trauma, race-based trauma and resilience of Indigenous peoples: A literature review. First Peoples Child & Family Review. 5(1). Pp.126-136. Retrieved from: https://fncaringsociety.com/sites/default/files/online-journal/vol5num1/Fast-Collin-Vezina_pp126.pdf
Gardam, K., Giles, A., Hayhurst, M. (2017). Sport for development for Aboriginal youth in Canada: A scoping review. Journal of Sport for Development. 2017;5(8). pp. 30-40. Retrieved from https://jsfd.org/2017/04/30/sport-for-development-for-aboriginal-youth-.in-canada-a-scoping-review/
Lavalle´e, L., & Le´vesque, L. (2013). Two-eyed seeing: physical activity, sport, and recreation promotion in Indigenous communities. In J. Forsyth & A. Giles (Eds.), Aboriginal peoples and sport in Canada (pp. 206–233). Victoria, BC: UBC Press.
Mason, C., McHugh., Strachan, L. & Boule, K. (2018). Urban Indigenous youth perspective on access to physical activity programmes in Canada. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health. 11(5). Pp 1-17. Doi: 10.1080/2159676X.2018.1514321
Mason, C., McHugh, T., Strachan, L. and Mason. (2018). Understanding positive youth development in sport through the voices of Indigenous youth. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 40(6). Pp. 293-302. Doi: http://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2018-0035
McHugh, T., Deal, C., Blye, C., Dimler, A., Halpenny, E. Sivak, A. & Holt, N. (2019). A meta-study of qualitative research examining sport and recreation experiences of Indigenous youth. Qualitative Health Research. 29(1). Pp. 42-54. Doi: 10.1177/1049732318759668
Nelson, A., Abbott, R. & Macdonald, D. (2010). Indigenous Australians and physical activity: Using a social ecological model to review the literature. Health Education Research. 25(3). Pp 498-509. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyq025
Tatz, C. (2012). Aborigines, sport and suicide. Sports in Society. 15(7). p 922-935. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2012.723352