National Aboriginal sports association established

Page 14

Soon, there is going to be more muscle backing Aboriginal sport in

Canada, if the recently formed Aboriginal Sport Circle has its way.

At its first annual meeting May 10 to 12 at the Tsuu T'ina First Nation

near Calgary, the circle laid the organizational groundwork for itself

as the national voice of Aboriginal sport in Canada.

The circle's top priorities included electing an executive board,

ratifying a business plan.

"With respect to the business plan, what we tried to establish was an

action plan that will carry us for the first year," said Alwyn Morris,

chair of the circle.

Officially formed last year after several years of background work, the

circle is a national multi-sport organization recognized by Sport Canada

as the voice of Aboriginal sport. Sport Canada, the federal department

responsible for sport, will underwrite the 1996-97 budget of $200,000.

The new association has a broad mandate. One key objective will be

promoting Aboriginal philosophies, values and benefits of sport,

fitness, recreation and culture. The circle will also encourage

Aboriginal youth, development and participation in healthy lifestyles

and activities.

"Sport is one of the most successful prevention intervention tools we

can use," said Cara Currie, the circle's vice-chair.

Aboriginal athletes also will be encouraged to reach personal

excellence through sport. On the advocacy side of sport, Morris said,

the circle will try "to ensure that Aboriginal sport as a whole is not

overlooked within the greater scheme of the main stream sports system."

The Aboriginal Sport Circle's board of directors consists of 26 members

from Canada's provinces and territories. The newly elected executive

board is made up of Morris, from the Mohawk Territory, and Currie, from

Alberta, as well as treasurer Rob Ross, from Manitoba, and secretary

Sandra Roach from Yukon.

At the Calgary meeting, various committees of board and board's newly

elected executive committee set specific objectives for themselves over

the next year.

"The fact that we were able to establish committees and that we are an

operational board, legally, I think that's great," said Morris a 1984

Olympic canoeing medal winner. "We made some big strides and that's

basically the start of any kind of development."

Top priority for the human resources committee of the circle's board

will be hiring an executive director. The ideal candidate, said Morris,

will have extensive involvement with sport, good management skills,

expertise in program development, and knowledge of the "inner workings"

of the Aboriginal community across Canada and federal government

departments.

"The hiring committee that has been established will hopefully make a

recommendation with regards to the candidate for the job at the next

board meeting (in October or November)," he said.

One of the first jobs for the new executive director will be

coordinating the search for an office location. The Calgary Olympic

Development Association has already invited the new association to

locate its two-person office in Calgary. Morris said that the circle

has received several other offers too.

Over the next six month, the Aboriginal Sport Circle will also hold a

logo competition. Besides creating a specific identity for the circle,

the new logo will also "raise awareness in the Aboriginal communities

that we exist," said Carrie.

In the next year, Carrie, as a member of the circle's advocacy

committee, also will oversee a task force investigating barriers to

Aboriginal sport and way to eliminate those barriers. The task force

report on Aboriginal sport and recreation was created following

recommendations made by the federal government at the 1995 Canada Winter

Games.

"The ministers will meet again August 1997 at the Canada Summer Games

in Brandon, Man., so our task is to prepare a report by the circle and

stake holders to present next summer," said Currie.

Circle partners in Alberta include Alberta Community Development, the

Aboriginal afairs department of Alberta Family and Social Services, the

Indigenous Sports Council(Alberta) and the Alberta Sport, Recreation,

Parks and Wildlife Foundation.

"Sport Canada has already made a commitment to develop an Aboriginal

sport policy," said Currie. That policy, she added, will likely be

based in part on recommendations made in the task force report.

"We need a positive relationship with (Sport Canada)," she added.

Other key government departments to connect with include the Department

of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Health Canada.

The circle will also cultivate relationships with leading sports

organization.

"We need to be part of the Olympic family," said Currie. At the

circle's annual meeting, she added, the Calgary Olympic Development

Association hosted those in attendance at Canada Olympic Park one

evening.

Athletics Canada, Baseball Canada and the Canadian Association for the

Advancement of Women in Sport are already affiliated with the circle,

which is also working to strengthen its relationship with the North

American Indigenous Games Council. The Alwyn Morris Education Athletic

Foundation together with Sport Canada and the Coaching Association of

Canada already co-fund and manage the national Aboriginal Coaching and

Leadership program.

Partnerships, however, are only a means to the end, added Currie.

"I think one of the main foci of the (circle) needs to be the athletes,

" she said. "We can build bureaucracies, we can develop board members

and leadership, but we need to go get the athletes who are our

audience."

Keeping that focus in mind, over the next year, the circle has plans to

begin:

- establishing a data base for youth on the internet,

- establishing an inventory of athlete role models,

- developing a process for coaches and athletes development standards,

and

- developing a nutrition guide for youth and training diary for

athletes.

"Basically, the biggest challegnge we are going to have is to try to

ensure the lives of th young people, who are participating in sport at

the community level, are enhanced," said Morris. "Through that

enhancement, we hopefully will see some social changes in our

communities as well as see Aboriginal athletes obtain the highest level

of competition possible."

Aboriginal Sports Circle

Board of Directors and Executive Board

Alberta

*Cara Currie - Vice Chair , *Cindy Ladouceur, Terry Lusty,

Charles Weaselhead

British Columbia

Les Antone,*Bill Blackwater, * Martha Chillihitzia

Doug Moran

Manitoba

*Cecil Desjarlais, Clint McIvor, *Rob Ross - Treasurer

New Brunswick

Foster Augustine, Jeremy Joseph, *Everett Sanipass, *Joe Sanipass

Northwest Territories

*Sharon Firth, *Victor Mercredi

Nova Scotia

*Tim Bernard, *George (Tex) Marshall, Barry Martin

Nunavut

*Paul Kowmageak ,*Patrick Tagoona

Ontario

*Kelly Bull,*Richard Jenkins

Quebec

*Alwyn Morris - Chair

Saskatchewan

Eugene Arcand, *Lorna Arcand, Roger Bird

*Robert Fiddler, Earl Magnusson, Neal Sasakmoose

Yukon

*Sam Johnson , *Sandra Roach - Secretary

*Indicates board member