Community Impact Report 2022-2023

We respectfully acknowledge Spirit North partnerships and programs are in seven Treaty territories, on unceded lands in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, and on lands that are home to the Métis. We honour these and all other First Nations, Inuit and Métis lands and are grateful for our relationships with the land and its Peoples. 

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We are Sport for Development. We are using the power of sport to support social change through access to opportunities that inspire and uplight, today and tomorrow.

Reconciliation

We’re committed to advancing reconciliation in Canada. In relationship with communities, we support Indigenous youth with resources and opportunities that seek to address the health legacy of residential schools, and support reconcilation through sport.

our leaders make it happen.

Spirit North leaders have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to deliver safe and fun programs where every child can realize success.

"Sport is intertwined in our history and cultural roots." - Ptâ Yedu Wîya, Spirit North Leader
“This opportunity keeps me in my community, engaged with my community and in good relations with relatives, friends and family.” Dakota Nepoose, Samson Cree Nation member and Spirit North Leader
Flower infographic that outlines Spirit North's 3 pillars of: Health, Education, & Community. We encourage cultural, emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing.

holistic approach

“Think of a ball: one side black, the other white. You only see one colour from where you stand. Set in motion, both colours are revealed. Spirit North is getting the ball moving.”

— Ptâ Yedu Wîya, îyârhe Nakoda Community Member

Health is holistic in an Indigenous worldview - encompassing physical, spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of wellbeing. Through co-created, holistic programs, Indigenous children and youth are realizing opportunities to grow and thrive within their communities.

We aim to measure Spirit North’s impact on health, education and community using Two-Eyed Seeing: an approach that respects and incorporates both Indigenous and Western perspectives to provide a fulsome view of program impact. We prioritize relationships and seek only minimally intrusive, voluntary data collection that is respectful of the rights, traditions and cultures of the Indigenous communities and peoples we work with.

Learn more about Two-Eyed-Seeing:

Bartlett C, Marshall M, Marshall A. Two-Eyed Seeing and other lessons learned within a co-learning journey of bringing together Indigenous and mainstream knowledges and ways of knowing. J Environ Stud Sci 2012; 2:331-340.

Impact & Reach

Spirit North is building partnerships with new schools in communities where we have established relationships; and we are investing in new community partnerships across Canada.

We are committed to growing programs sustainably with Indigenous community partners.