Indigenous Women Set To Star In The PWHL

National Day for Truth & Reconciliation annually honors Indigenous peoples, and recognizes the impact of Canada's residential school system. Sport is a big part of this.

September 30 is national day for Truth & Reconciliation in Canada, honoring the survivors, and those who did not return from Canada's residential school system. The day also signifies the recognition of the generational family and community trauma caused by residential schools, and the ongoing oppression of Indigenous people in Canada.

In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada released 94 calls to action in order to “redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation.”

Of those, five specifically discussed sport.

Call to action #87 reads, "We call upon all levels of government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, sports halls of fame, and other relevant organizations, to provide public education that tells the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history."

Call to action #88 reads, "We call upon all levels of government to take action to ensure long-term Aboriginal athlete development and growth, and continued support for the North American Indigenous Games, including funding to host the games and for provincial and territorial team preparation and travel."

Call to action #89 reads, "We call upon the federal government to amend the Physical Activity and Sport Act to support reconciliation by ensuring that policies to promote physical activity as a fundamental element of health and well-being, reduce barriers to sports participation, increase the pursuit of excellence in sport, and build capacity in the Canadian sport system, are inclusive of Aboriginal peoples."

Call to action #90 reads, "We call upon the federal government to ensure that national sports policies, programs, and initiatives are inclusive of Aboriginal peoples, including, but not limited to, establishing:

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Call to action #91 reads, "We call upon the officials and host countries of international sporting events such as the Olympics, Pan Am, and Commonwealth games to ensure that Indigenous peoples’ territorial protocols are respected, and local Indigenous communities are engaged in all aspects of planning and participating in such events."

In the recent PWHL Draft, three Indigenous women were selected. They were Jocelyne Larocque (2nd overall, Toronto) and Jamie Lee Rattray (15th overall, Boston), who are both Metis, and Victoria Bach (38th overall, Toronto) who is Mohawk.

Prior to the draft, Abby Roque, who is Ojibwe, was signed to a three-year contract by  New York. 

Three other Indigenous women, Kelly Babstock (Ojibway), Brooke Stacey (Mohawk), and Kayce Anderson (Metis) were also eligble for the draft but were not selected.