By: Youeal Abera
Vancouver’s BC Place is currently hosting a monumental exhibit that celebrates and honours our province’s Indigenous athletes. As a part of the BC Sports Hall of Fame, the Indigenous Sport Gallery acknowledges the contributions of athletic excellence which B.C.’s Indigenous communities have brought to the world of sports. Exhibiting a wide array of sport leagues and organizations, ranging from hockey and basketball to canoe-racing and horseback riding, the Indigenous Sport Gallery highlights a demographic often disregarded in discourses surrounding sports.
As you first walk into the exhibit, you are instantly greeted with rich information on Indigenous cultures and how they’ve impacted sports. Not only does the exhibit display the impressive accomplishments of Indigenous athletes, but it also teaches about the vital sports leagues and organizations entrenched within our province’s Indigenous communities.
For instance, the gallery sheds light on the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG), which is an event that hosts thousands of North America’s Indigenous coaches and athletes for a multi-sport affair. The exhibit informs its attendees that Team BC, a team of over 500 Indigenous coaches and athletes from our province, has won more medals and taken first place more times than any other province or territory in the history of the NAIG.
The hall of fame’s recent addition also articulates the significance of the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (ISPARC). With the hope of maintaining healthy Indigenous communities in B.C., the ISPARC’s main goal is to increase the accessibility of recreational and athletic activities to all Indigenous individuals.
The Indigenous Sports Gallery also spotlights the amazing Indigenous athletes who have come from British Columbia. One section of the exhibit is dedicated to the legacy of Dawn Murphy, also known as Delta Dawn. Known for her impeccable strength and skill within the world of wrestling, Murphy travelled B.C. with an All-Star wrestling team while also competing for Japanese professional wrestling organizations. Dan Cloutier, a former star goalie of the Vancouver Canucks, was also celebrated in the exhibit. From 2001–04, Cloutier garnered three consecutive seasons with over 30 wins.
Terry Fox, in addition to being cherished for his philanthropic and athletic achievements, is also celebrated through the exhibit’s account of his Indigenous ancestry. In one portion of the exhibit, it’s revealed that, although he was unaware of it growing up, Fox and his family shared Métis heritage.
Moreover, although the Indigenous Sport Gallery provides an excellent account of many of B.C.’s Indigenous athletes, the most salient part of the exhibit is that it truly acknowledges how integral the Indigenous peoples of British Columbia have been to the development of sports in Canada. BC Place’s decision to replace the exhibit on the British Commonwealth games with the Indigenous Sports Gallery is indicative of what needs to commence in Canadian society. Through the BC Hall of Fame’s celebration of Indigenous athleticism, some of our province’s most skilled and iconic athletes are finally beginning to receive the widespread acknowledgement they deserve.
