Exploring Media Coverage of the 2017 World Indigenous Nations Games and North American Indigenous Games: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

This study examines how Indigenous voices were represented in Canadian mainstream media coverage of the two international Indigenous sporting events hosted in Canada in 2017. A critical discourse analysis guided by the concept of Settler Colonialism reveals that mainstream media provided some opportunities for Indigenous stakeholders to bring issues facing their communities to the attention of the Canadian public. The tensions and challenges identified by Indigenous stakeholders included stereotypes of non-Indigenous people, identity struggles within Indigenous communities, a lack of resources and opportunities for Indigenous youth, the vulnerability of Indigenous women, and the difficulty for Indigenous sporting achievements to be acknowledged. Although these struggles were associated with issues such as the legacy of assimilation policies, the lack of education on relevant topics in school, and other socioeconomic barriers within many Indigenous communities, the discourse stops short of questioning the legitimacy of the Canadian settler state.