Restor(y)ing Place: Indigenous Land-based Physical Cultural Practices as Restorative Process in Fisher River Cree Nation (Ochékwi Sipi)

Abstract

The purpose of our chapter is to contribute to the current literature on sport and the environment by introducing an ethic of sustainability embedded in the historical and ongoing place-based physical cultures of Fisher River Cree Nation (Ochékwi Sipi).

Using an Indigenous-centered, community-based research design, we conducted four sharing circles with a total of 13 Elders from Fisher River Cree Nation. Sharing circles are a culturally safe discussion format for Elders to share their experiences and perspectives, which is significant in that Elders serve as critical links in the intergenerational communication of Cree place-based knowledge.

The key finding of this research is presented, centering around the more-than-human ethic that emerges from the place-specific stories of movement and physical culture shared by the Elders.

Based on the stories of the Elders we show how intimate and deeply embodied knowledges are formed over the course of generations of living with, learning from, and moving across Land. The knowledge gathered from this research presents an alternative to the dominant Western worldview and may serve as a critical link in struggles for environmental and social sustainability.

Citation

Norman, M.E., Hart, M. and Mason, G. (2020), "Restor(y)ing Place: Indigenous Land-based Physical Cultural Practices as Restorative Process in Fisher River Cree Nation (Ochékwi Sipi)", Wilson, B. and Millington, B. (Ed.) Sport and the Environment (Research in the Sociology of Sport, Vol. 13), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 85-101. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1476-285420200000013005