A recent literature review conducted by the National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health highlights a major policy issue: Indigenous Youth are more physically active than non-Indigenous Youth, yet they report poorer health outcomes.
This shows why it is problematic to use sports participation in policymaking as a lodestar when attempting to influence positive health outcomes. Sport has failed to address systemic problems that affect Indigenous Peoples and communities. In order to address these deeply rooted issues, sport policy must be more comprehensive and culturally grounded.
Indigenous Youth are more likely than non-Indigenous Youth to engage in sport and physical activity. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jesse Johnston
National Sport Policies
National sports policies serve as a guide to how and why the federal government will invest in sports. The first Canadian sports policy, The Act to Encourage Amateur Sport, was passed in 1961. The majority of the agreements were cost-sharing arrangements with provinces and territories in order to encourage people to take up sports for fitness or competition.
The federal government then began to place more emphasis on high-performance sports. Since the 1970s, billions of dollars have been invested in athletes who win gold, bronze, and silver medals. This is done in hopes that their achievements will encourage citizens to be more active.
This policy’s overall direction is best summarized by the phrase ” From playground to podium.” It captures the ambition and reach of many of these policies.
A new national sports policy will soon be implemented, which will lead to a renewed conversation about the relationship between sport and health in Canada. In the report, which is the basis of the new policy, sport is referred to as “an integral component of health and cultural in Canada”, with quotes that describe it as health care.
Sports and Health
It is a long-standing relationship that links sports participation to federal policymaking. This relationship is based on the belief that encouraging children to participate in sports leads to improved health outcomes.
The first goal of the Canada Sports Policy was to increase Canadians’ participation in sports.
The Canadian Sport Policy for 2012 continued to emphasize the positive health benefits that sports participation can provide. It said it “strengthens personal development, provides relaxation and enjoyment, reduces stress and improves mental and physical health, physical fitness, and general well-being and allows them to lead more productive and rewarding life.”
On Dec. 11, 2023, in Ottawa, Minister of Sport and Physical Activity Carla Qualtrough spoke about the measures that the government is taking to improve the safety of sports. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
The 2012 policy was clearly aimed at health in the broadest sense. Only 34 percent of Canadians took part in organized sports in 2012. By 2023, this number would have risen to nearly 50 percent due in part to return-to-play initiatives following the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, the trend may be reversed due to rising costs of living.
There is no official survey tracking Indigenous participation in sport in Canada. It means that assumptions about sport as a driver of Indigenous health are not relevant for many segments of the First Nations and Metis populations. Sport policy could also exacerbate existing health inequalities rather than address them.
Social Determinants of Indigenous Health
The federal government’s resources for public health illustrate that, although sport is a valued and important part of Canadian culture, its relative impact on the health of a population is affected by a number of external factors.
It would be helpful to look at sport through the social determinants of Indigenous health lens. This will shed some light on how and why this occurs. The Canadian government uses the 12 social determinants and health inequalities as a guide to its policies.
Social determinants are more than just the current government approach. They also include other factors, such as settler colonialism and Indigenous culture.