world cup<\/span> Vancouver’s Fan Festival features food stalls featuring games, local food like poutine, and exhibits recognizing the host city’s Indigenous communities: Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. <\/p>\nBut First Nations is more than just a fan fest. They are partnering with the local World Cup Organizing Committee and are leveraging a tradition that began with the 2010 Winter Olympics. <\/p>\n
It’s the latest example of how Indigenous inclusion is increasingly being integrated into major sporting events, from the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.<\/p>\n
Vancouver’s goal was to ensure Indigenous participation in the World Cup planning process, ultimately providing a platform to bring awareness and create a lasting legacy for the city’s Indigenous communities. <\/p>\n
“One of the key messages that we discovered at the 2010 Olympics, and continue to be, is to share the cultural diversity that we have. We’re not all the same. And I think we’re not just living in the history books, we’re living and thriving today,” said Tewanee Joseph, Squamish Nation’s Office of Major Sports, Entertainment and Marquee Events.<\/p>\n
Tradition from the Olympics<\/h2>\n
Joseph served as the CEO of the four First Nations that hosted the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. The Olympics were held on the traditional territories of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, Masquam, and Lil’wat Nations. <\/p>\n
The organization’s involvement in the Winter Olympics marked the first time that an indigenous people has been recognized by the International Olympic Committee as an official hosting partner. <\/p>\n
Vancouver wasn’t the only city to involve Indigenous communities in World Cup planning. Puyallup Tribe of Seattle<\/span> was the official presenting legacy sponsor of SeattleFWC26, the city’s hosting organization. <\/p>\nIndigenous dancers and Peguis First Nation musician William Prince participated in the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Toronto, and the fan festival Tokaronto Market showcased local products and art. <\/p>\n
In Mexico, FIFA collaborated with the National Handicrafts Promotion Fund to encourage indigenous artisans in soccer-themed folk art. <\/p>\n
FIFA recognizes indigenous communities<\/h2>\n
Ahead of this World Cup, FIFA has made indigenous engagement a central pillar of its sustainability and human rights strategy, promoting respectful collaboration with communities in all three host countries. <\/p>\n
In 2023, FIFA partnered with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to promote the Indigenous Unity Movement.<\/p>\n
This initiative became a highlight of the 2023 Women’s World Cup.<\/span>hosted by New Zealand and Australia. Led by a committee of six Indigenous women, FIFA ensured the inclusion of both Australia’s Indigenous peoples and New Zealand’s Maori culture. <\/p>\nAll signage used Indigenous terminology and flags were flown in the stadium. In New Zealand, a traditional Maori karanga call was performed before each match, while in Australia, the pre-match ceremony included welcoming addresses from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders.<\/p>\n
And it’s not just FIFA. Organizers of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles are drawing on the history of indigenous lacrosse to bring the sport back to the Olympics as a medal sport for the first time since 1908.<\/p>\n
The Haudenosaunee (formerly known as the Iroquois) are considered the inventors of the sport and have lobbied their supporters to compete in the Los Angeles Olympics. as an independent nation<\/span>but so far it’s failing. <\/p>\nBringing back World Cup visitors<\/h2>\n
Paula Amos with Indigenous Tourism B.C. said outreach during the World Cup is critical. According to Destination BC, Indigenous tourism generates $1.1 billion in economic impact for British Columbia each year, with 31 per cent of international travelers seeking Indigenous experiences. <\/p>\n
“We’re saying it’s not over when the final whistle blows. We’re here to make sure visitors want to come back and bring their families and have an Indigenous tourism experience,” Amos said. \u201cVancouver is a great gateway to the province, so we’re using Vancouver to highlight all the regions of the province and make people want to come back and explore more.\u201d<\/p>\n
a lasting legacy<\/h2>\n
As partners in planning and organizing the event, each of the three First Nations nations will receive $6 million toward the Legacy Project. Squamish plans to build a youth soccer field in West Vancouver. <\/p>\n
But the most important legacy is intangible. <\/p>\n
“My favorite part is seeing members of our nation walking the streets of Vancouver, attending Fan Fest, sitting here at our own watch event, and seeing people ask questions about our culture, asking how important we are, and the pride they show to let us know that,” Joseph said. “For us, we were able to see our members front and center there, with their chins up, held high, proud. For me, those are a lot of memories. It’s just the people and the interaction between the people and the culture.”<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
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