Indigenous youth in sport and recreation on the Canadian prairies: mentor perspectives beyond the game

Western research methods and ideologies have been shown to be incompatible with Indigenous culture, imposing righteous perspectives of what needs fixing and how to fix it. Indigenous youth have been subjects of research centralized around physical activity, sport and recreation, revealing common participation barriers. Previous research shows dominant social practices in sport/physical activity, including barriers to involvement/engagement, the notion of development, and various impacts of overcoming stereotypes. However, scholars often avoid linking these contextual factors to the root causes of oppression contributing to participation and engagement. In the literature review, I outline ways in which information regarding Indigenous populations has, historically, been gathered, analyzed, and applied through a Western framework, highlighting the absence of subjectivity impartiality’s role in perpetuating the oppression of minority populations within research/academic and governmental institutions (Wilson, 2008; Young, 1990). Through storytelling and personal experience, this study uncovers successes and trials experienced by individuals involved in coaching/mentorship roles for First Nations youth within the Canadian prairie provinces. Four participants gathered virtually for a focus group surrounding experiences of inclusion, exclusion, and leadership, followed up with one-to-one interviews. Personal journaling includes documentation of the researcher's perspective and progression throughout the project. Critical Thematic Analysis is a way of examining data within the data by identifying statements or ideas that are repetitive and forceful (Lawless & Chen, 2019), and comparing them to larger themes or theories. Primary analysis focuses on Young's (1990) five faces of oppression: exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, and violence. The focus group and interviews were examined for repetitive and forceful statements, with the lens of the f