At a live event Monday, the federal government announced $2.5 million in funding to give Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people more opportunities to participate in sports and physical activities.
Ten provincial and territorial Indigenous sports bodies will carry out projects that respond to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).
The MMIWG calls for more support into the health and wellness of Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people, among other recommendations.
Funded projects will focus on Indigenous-led prevention initiatives in the areas of health and community awareness, using sports as a tool for social development.
The announcement was made by Adam van Koeverden, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and to the Minister of Sport, at the Songhees Wellness Center in Esquimalt, BC
On Monday, van Koeverden also announced renewed funding for Indigenous youth in sports with a $20 million federal investment over five years, starting in 2022-23.
“This is an important day for all of our Indigenous peoples,” said Corinne McKay, president of the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council.
“The reconciliation and strength for Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people through sport funding is a strong indication of Sport Canada’s commitment to support provincial-territorial Aboriginal sport bodies across the country,” she said.
McKay hopes the funding will benefit her team’s efforts to make sports more accessible and welcoming to Indigenous women, girls, and those who identify as queer.
“There is so much critical work to be done to address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls,” she said.
“This new funding stream of the SSDIC (Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities) program will help us to take an important step towards helping our people reclaim their sense of health, wellness, safety and wholeness.”