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VIDEO: Last of NAIG legacy funds goes towards helping First Nations communities

Increasing physical wellness was the keynote at a special Aboriginal Day event in Duncan.
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The booklet includes a full program for helping aboriginal communities get their kids into sports. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)

The area outside the front of the Siem Lelum gymnasium was thronged with happy children and their families on June 21, National Aboriginal Day.

They enjoyed food and sno-cones, and the kids had lots of opportunities for physical activities with several fun inflatables and a climbing wall as well.

Late in the afternoon, the tone of the event briefly turned to more serious issues.

Aboriginal Sport Circle and its partner the Sport for Life Society unveiled a new resource for communities. The launch occurred simultaneously online and at the event.

Aboriginal Communities: Active for Life is a culturally-tailored resource that is designed for aboriginal community members, such as parents, elders, educators, recreation leaders, and coaches, who value physical activity and healthy living as a vehicle to the holistic development of both the individual and the community.

Over 260 sport and physical activity leaders from across the country contributed to the publication, which received financial support from the Government of Canada through Sport Canada, a branch of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Among many important partners in the development of the resource are the Cowichan 2008 North American Indigenous Games Legacy, the Aboriginal Sport and Wellness Council of Ontario, and the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (I-SPARC).

“I-SPARC is excited to see the national launch of Aboriginal Communities: Active for Life,” said executive director Rick Brant.

“This long-anticipated resource will be an important tool for us as we further the impact of our work in aboriginal communities throughout B.C. It creates an opportunity to better support the training of community champions as they design and deliver culturally relevant physical activity and sport programs that will improve community health outcomes.”

The nearly 40-page document and its accompanying workshop supports and empowers members of the communities who seek to develop quality sport and physical activity programs.

“It is the desire of the Aboriginal Sport Circle to actively support life changes within the aboriginal community through initiatives that help aboriginal people engage in physical activities,” said Alwyn Morris, president of the Aboriginal Sport Circle. “On behalf of the board of directors of the Aboriginal Sport Circle, I express my gratitude and pride for the relationship we built with Sport for Life, which in turn allowed this important resource to come to fruition.”

Gerry Giles of the Cowichan 2008 NAIG Legacy Council said that the group was delighted to be able to see the last of the legacy funds go to such a worthwhile project, one that supports and encourages aboriginal communities in healthy activities.