Sport serving vital role on path toward reconciliation in National Indigenous History Month

Sport serves as an important avenue to promote and celebrate Indigenous culture, and it continues to play a vital role as the country takes steps toward reconciliation.

In 2015, Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) published a list of 94 Calls to Action to help advance reconciliation, including five that addressed sport. Progress has been made in recent years in response, including initiatives to connect Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians, the education of Indigenous sport history, the inclusion of Indigenous voices and efforts to remove barriers to participation.

In an aim to build bridges through sport, the Fraser Valley Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League unveiled a new alternate logo last week that was designed in partnership with the Qw'?ntl'en (Kwantlen) First Nation of Langley, B.C.

Kwantlen First Nation artist Jeff Dickson's creation was inspired by the Indigenous history and geography of the Fraser Valley. He seized the opportunity to honour local Indigenous culture and was pleased to work with a team that has reconciliation top of mind.

But along with highlighting local Indigenous culture, Dickson said the logo symbolizes a much larger commitment to Indigenous communities and the role sport plays within them on the path to reconciliation.

"The journey to Truth and Reconciliation will be a long trek. I hope this piece represents a visual cue that the Bandits can display as a symbol of their commitment to the First Peoples of our land and their pledge to support the development of Indigenous youth who love the game of basketball," Dickson said.

His work is the result of an ongoing partnership between the Bandits and the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council