Decolonizing Health & Sport
Restores Indigenous world views, culture and traditional ways and replaces Western interpretations of history with Indigenous perspectives of history. Repatriation of land.
An interested city had first to identify the “blighted” areas that it wished to redo. Once those areas had been defined, the city had the task of developing a “workable plan.” Once the plan was approved by the federal government, the designated areas could be seized. The people and businesses that occupied the site were given a minimal amount of compensation and were sent away. The seized land was then cleared of all buildings and, thanks to federal subsidies, sold to developers at a fraction of the city’s costs. The developers then built businesses, educational and cultural institutions, and residences for middle- and upper-income people.
Housing Act of 1949/Urban renewal process
An international adaptive multisport competition in which wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel and veterans take part in sport.
Invictus Games
Neighbourhood in which healthy food is expensive and/or difficult to find.
Food desert
Negative attitudes, beliefs or behaviours about or towards a group of people because of their situation in life (like mental illness).
Stigma
The Haudenosaunee Nationals lacrosse team refused to participate in the 2010 World Lacrosse League Championship in England because the United Kingdom did not recognize their Haudenosaunee-issued passports as legitimate. This is a political act of ____.
Refusal
Hosting mega-events (like World Cup, Olympics) has proven there is little benefit to the host city's communities. Why would a city bid to host a mega-event?
Cities are now more focused on competing in the global market rather than simply redistributing resources.
Helps brand a city/country into a "positive" international image.
Local elites lobby for hosting, wishing to attract global capital that will allow them (the minority ruling class) to profit.
The US Department of Defense spent USD$10.4 million on marketing and advertising contracts with professional sports teams between 2012 and 2015. Name an American sport league that received military funds (besides the NFL).
MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS
An approach that explicitly demands that power imbalances be dismantled. It asks:
Who owns and controls the land use for, knowledge about, and technology that goes into food and its production?
Who labours so that we may have food?
How has colonialism affected food?
Food justice
Name a sport-specific factor that may result in mental health challenges for athletes.
Pressure to represent their country, abusive coaching, injury, transition in and out of sport.
Glen Coulthard (2014) argues that the mere participation of Indigenous peoples (through symbolic gestures like land acknowledgments) within Canada's settler colonial systems serves to validate rather than disrupt colonial institutions. It avoids deeper structural change.
The politics of reconciliation
Refers to the traumatic stress that occurs when people are displaced from their communities, often as a result of urban renewal, gentrification, or other forms of forced change (Fullilove, 2016).
Root shock
Provide an example of how Western countries connect sport and militarism.
Military appreciation nights in professional sport.
Injured military personnel becoming athletes (Invictus Games).
Militarized sport uniforms.
Sport sponsors using sport to support military (e.g., Pepsi).
Neighbourhood with abundance of unhealthy, highly processed, low-nutrient food plus disproportionate advertising for unhealthy food (compared to wealthier neighborhoods).
Food swamps
Athletes who seek help with mental health face the same challenges that prevent 50% of Canadians (non-athletes) from receiving adequate treatment. Name one of these challenges facing athletes and non-athletes.
High wait times, unaffordability of private care, limited access to transport to treatment, shortage of mental health professionals, stigma.
There are 5 out of the 94 calls to action in the Truth and Reconciliation document that relate to sport. Describe one call to action that relates to sport.
87. We call upon governments, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, sports halls of fame, and other relevant organizations, to tell the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history.
88. Ensure long-term athlete development and growth, and continued support for the North American Indigenous Games.
89. Promote physical activity for health and well-being, reduce barriers, increase the pursuit of excellence in sport, and build capacity in the Canadian sport system.
90. Ensure that national sports policies, programs, and initiatives are inclusive of Aboriginal peoples.
91. We call upon the officials and host countries of international sporting events such as the Olympics, Pan Am, and Commonwealth games to ensure that Indigenous peoples' territorial protocols are respected, and local Indigenous communities are engaged in all aspects of planning and participating in such events (TRC, 2015c).
The 2015 PanAm Games promised new sport facilities in "blighted" areas, and renewed urban space in Regent Park. What was the reality for newcomer youth who lived in the neighbourhood? (De Lisio et al., 2019)
Despite promises of mixed-income housing, local elites opposed affordable housing.
Youth felt there wasn't enough recreation space created - it was mostly concrete and condos.
Youth faced significant barriers in accessing new recreational facilities due to costs, time constraints, and travel limitations, reinforcing existing disparities.
While they saw sport as a way to build connections, their primary concern was securing employment and financial stability (which PanAm games did not provide to youth).
According to Desjardins (2021), how does the Canada Army Run promote the military?
Symbols (dog tags, canon at start of race, camo print race shirts).
Display of military weapons.
Constant "thank our troops".
In Canada, there are 2.2 million monthly visits to food banks. 33% of food bank clients are children. 34% of food bank clients are also what demographic?
Newcomers
A set of practices and beliefs that assign inferior value (worth) to people who have developmental, emotional, physical or psychiatric disabilities.
Ableism
Western research methods like interviews are guided by the researcher (often settlers), who may not ask the right questions.
Definition of sport is Eurocentric and may not include walking, hunting, snowshoeing, etc.
Statistics don't show the full picture of experience with sport.
Assumptions that non-participation means they are "lacking" something (education, physical literacy, resources, etc.).
Toronto is set to be one host city of the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup, alongside Mexico and the US. What is a human rights concern relevant to the upcoming World Cup?
Risk of detainment and deportation in US host cities, Toronto has announced it will close down a shelter near the venue, gentrification and worsened housing crisis, increase police and surveillance (which will remain after the WC), US travel ban means folks from select countries won't be allowed entry.
The Federal Government's 2025 budget proposes to provide CAD______ over five years to rebuild, rearm, and reinvest in the Canadian Armed Forces (within 15 units above or below).
CAD 81.8 billion (will accept between 66-97 billion).
What is the difference between food security and food sovereignty?
Food sovereignty: right to choosing healthy and culturally appropriate foods produced via methods that are sustainable. Right to determine the systems of food production.
Food security: when all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life. Respects people's dietary needs and preferences.
With complete faith in the free market to provide for all who wish to work, people who do not achieve financial success are blamed for their misfortunes, increasing the stigma of poverty. Attitudes toward people who receive government financial assistance can elicit feelings of shame from those who receive benefits.
Pathologization of poverty