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Best Practices A review of the literature revealed a number of best practices for research, policy making, and programming as these relate to physical activity among Indigenous populations. The first three best practices relate to decolonizing thinking, research, and sports and sports policy. First, people and groups who develop programs and policies or conduct research should decolonize the way they think about sports, physical activity, and play. They should think more broadly about how sports and physical activity are defined, place greater value and emphasis on traditional landbased activities, and incorporate Indigenous traditions and values into programming (Gerlach et al., 2014; Hudson et al., 2020; Mason et al., 2019; McGuireAdams & Giles, 2018; McHugh,
Kingsley, et al., 2013; McRae, 2012; Paraschak & Heine, 2019; Peers & Link, 2021; Strachan et al., 2018). This is particularly vital given that centuries of “environmental dispossession [... have] significantly altered the special relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the land” (Richmond, 2018, pp. 167–168). With specific reference to First Nations populations, this dispossession has shifted their cultural identities in ways that have negatively affected their overall health (Richmond, 2018). Similarly, “alienation from and changes to Inuit culture have been cited as major contributors to both physical and mental health problems” (Ellsworth & O’Keeffe, 2013). Sports can also be central to connecting urban First Nations and Métis youth with land and land-based learning (Davie, 2019).
Second, research itself should be decolonized (McGuire-Adams & Giles, 2018; McHugh, Coppola, et al., 2013; Pelletier et al., 2017; Rovito, 2012; Wicklum et al., 2019). Norman and Hart (2016) noted that “we need to approach ‘Indigenous physical cultures’ in a manner that fosters and reclaims physical culture as a site of cultural growth and selfdetermination” (p. 439). Many studies observed the importance of conducting more Indigenousyouth-informed research when examining young people’s experiences in traditional and other physical activities (Akbar et al., 2020; Hudson et al., 2020; Mason et al., 2019; Petrucka et al., 2016). The literature stressed the importance of gathering Indigenous community input for culturally and geographically relevant programming (Hudson et al., 2020; McHugh et al., 2015; McHugh, Kingsley, et al., 2013;
Indigenous sports and recreation programs and partnerships across Canada: A literature review and environmental scan in Canada
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