One Year Later ⿿ A Retrospective on Aboriginal Participation in the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

A year has passed since the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games which were held in British Columbia and on First Nations traditional territory. The Olympic Games (February 12 to 28) and the Paralympic Winter Games (March 12 to 21) not only featured the world's finest athletes, but for the first time in their history, the Games showcased Aboriginal culture to the world.

Aboriginal peoples' participation in the Games was unprecedented – even from the outset. Two years prior to the Games, the International Olympic Committee recognized the Lil'Wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations as official partners in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Through the involvement of these Four Host First Nations, Aboriginal people had a level of participation unseen before: as employees and volunteers, as athletes and spectators and as performers and artists.

The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay visited more than 100 Aboriginal communities across Canada not only bringing the spirit of the Olympics to these communities, but also making Aboriginal communities an integral part of the journey to the Games. The Opening Ceremonies hosted more than 300 young Aboriginal leaders and showcased Aboriginal culture and entertainers. The Four Host First Nations (FHFN) played a key part in welcoming the world   to the Games.

A year later, this unique sense of pride and affirmation lives on.

The momentum began with the Government of Canada's 2008 Legacy Agreements – created to ensure that Aboriginal people shared in the economic, sport, social and cultural benefits of the Games. The Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam First Nations signed Legacy Agreements with Canada, through which the Government recognized their valuable contribution to the success of the 2010 Games. These agreements provided $17 million each to the two First Nations for use in acquiring lands, building economic development capacity, developing business ventures and other opportunities.

Other INAC investments, totalling $2.9 million, supported the construction and operation of the 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion and Artisans' Village. The Four Host First Nations Society used these funds to construct a temporary Aboriginal Pavilion and Artisans' Village in downtown Vancouver which was open to all throughout the Games. With over 240,000 people visiting   the Pavilion and the Artisans' Village, it ensured that the businesses, achievements and cultures of all Aboriginal heritage groups in Canada – First Nations, Métis and Inuit – were featured at the Games.

However, it was more than just BC First Nations who received funding related to the Aboriginal Pavilion and the Artisans' Village. The Council of Yukon First Nations received over $1.4 million from the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) to feature Yukon tourism, mining and cultural industries, as well as to develop main stage performances at the Aboriginal Pavilion and other Games-related events.

On the Aboriginal Business Development and Procurement side, in 2007, INAC contributed $120,000 to the Aboriginal Business Summit which acted as a springboard to Aboriginal business opportunities through the Games. The Four Host First Nations Society held this summit and Aboriginal businesses and entrepreneurs from across Canada were able to learn about business and procurement opportunities available to them. INAC also contributed $450,000 to the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) to retain two Aboriginal Business Development Specialists to focus on specific opportunities for Aboriginal firms. As a result, more than 100 Aboriginal businesses worked on Games-related activities – generating a total of more than $57 million in revenues.

Aboriginal art and culture were strongly featured at the Games. VANOC's Aboriginal Arts Program and Art Market received almost $1 million in support from INAC, and was able to develop a program to attract First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists from across Canada. As a result, high-end carvings, tapestry, wood pieces and other artistic pieces were produced, with in total, 90 works installed at Olympic venues in Vancouver and Whistler, providing exceptional exposure and marketing opportunities. INAC investments in the Games also benefitted Aboriginal youth in BC. INAC contributed $150,000 to VANOC to support the development of the "Find Your Passion in Sport" Aboriginal Youth Athlete Poster Series. The posters featured young, accomplished Aboriginal athletes as an inspiration to others about the power of sport. The posters were distributed to every school in Canada. Another $163,316 of INAC funding enabled the innovative Aboriginal Community Career Employment Services' "Bladerunners" program to expand and include 60 at-risk Aboriginal youth in Vancouver's Downtown East Side.

However, the legacy of the Games continues as the Four Host First Nations continue to use their legacy agreements to invest in community and economic development projects. Some of these projects include Musqueam's construction of their Phase III Community Centre and Tsleil-Waututh Nation Economic Self Sufficiency Strategy and joint-venture partnership with Endurance Wind Power to manufacture five KW wind turbines. This is just a sample of the community projects developed as a legacy of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Canadians, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal alike, took pride in the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Aboriginal young men and women also took part at the Indigenous Youth Gathering at the Aboriginal Pavilion to celebrate and explore the variety of Aboriginal cultures.

The true impact of these Games and the opportunities created for and by Aboriginal people – artists and artisans, entrepreneurs, athletes, and leaders – is measured by more than the money invested, the number of businesses featured or art works purchased. It is also measured by the intangible effects of being a full partner in the Games and the unprecedented opportunity to showcase Aboriginal – First Nation, Inuit and Métis – culture and accomplishments to all Canadians, and to the world.

February 2011