b'HEALING THROUGH SPORTPeople always mention the Oka CrisisHorn-Miller has received many accoladescommunity, is your contribution back to it. [but] that was not what made me want toand honours over the years. In 1999, sheI think a big part of why Indigenous people become an Olympian, Horn-Miller says.received the Tom Longboat Award, whichachieve is that they want to give back, she I wanted to be an Olympian ever sincerecognizes outstanding Indigenous athletes.says. If you encounter challenges, you I saw Alwyn Morris, a fellow Mohawk.In 2006, she was chosen as a torchbearerwant to make the path easier for those who But it put an edge to my dream, and I wasfor the Turin Winter Olympics. In 2015,come after.more motivated about what that achieve- she was an Assistant Chef de Mission for ment would mean to me. the Canadians at the Pan Am Games, heldAs an Olympic athlete, Horn-Miller says in Toronto. The Canadian Association forshe has the ability to make things better. An even more important role model hasthe Advancement of Women and Sport hasCanada will never achieve its greatest been Horn-Millers mother, Kahn-Tinetanamed her one of Canadas most influentialpotential on the world stage until it really Horn. She is one of Canadas first Native- women in sport, and in 2019, she wasgives representation to Indigenous people rights activists. She really understood frominducted into the Canadian Sports Halland all the multicultural communities here. all her work in her twenties the kind ofof Fame. Reconciliation is trying to get divergent world her daughters would be growingviews to come together and work together, up in. She knew we would need certainThis very public profile allows Horn-Millershe explains. Indigenous people have been skills, and she knew that sport couldto work for change, speaking nationally andthrough tons of trauma in our history, and give us those: teamwork, perseverance,internationally and participating in formaltheres an idea that were just going to fail. dedication, respecting your body. It wasprocesses like the Inquiry into Missing andMy journey from Oka to the Olympics is very important for us to understand thatMurdered Indigenous Women and Girls.the diametric opposite of that. We are a our body was sacred and needed to beHorn-Miller worked with the Assemblyresilient people. We are a strong people, and respected, says Horn-Miller. of First Nations to develop their sport,you can learn from us many, many things Her mother wanted to teach her daughtersfitness and health strategy, and serves as theabout how to make this country work.how to work hard, Horn-Miller says, butDirector of the Storyboot Project, an initia-also to make sure they had resources fortive of the Manitobah Mukluks companySPORT STRATEGYself-care and healing. As life becomesthat preserves and passes down traditional crafts and supports Indigenous artists. Horn-Miller strongly believes that Canada more stressful, sport is always a place youneeds a national Indigenous sports strategy, can go back to and get that stress relief,Among Horn-Millers proudest accomplish- one that is intentional, with a clear and she says. It has really helped me to thisments, however, has been speaking outin-depth understanding of Indigenous day to be successful in life. against abuse from coaches, and helpingrealities, both urban and in community, in The senior Horn did not want her daugh- develop programs like McGill Universitysthe North and the South. She says that any ters to face conscious or unconscious biasEagle Spirit Camp, which was founded tofacilities to be included within this frame-in judged sports like figure skating andoffer Indigenous students exposure both towork must be truly accessible to Indigenous diving. Therefore, she encouraged themsport and to medical sciences. The impulsepeople: Its going to be expensive, and to take part in sports that are measuredto give back comes naturally to her. A bigneed a longer plan, but it will make a lot impartially, like running, which is meas- part of being Indigenous, being part of aof difference. ured strictly by the clock. With this wise introduction to the field of sport, Horn-Miller thrived. She enjoyed athletics and found she could excel in them. Through the 1990s, she won more than 20 Gold medals in various categories at the North American Indigenous Games. It was water polo, however, that would take her to the Olympics.WINNING STREAK ConnectAs a member of the Canadian womens water polo team, Horn-Miller won Gold at the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. She also became the first Mohawk woman from Canada to compete in the Olympics when the team she co-captained competed in Sydney in 2000. In 2001, the teamConnect to Anishnaabe culture through Ojibwe languagewon bronze at the FINA World Aquaticsrevitalization with Anishnaabemowin and Program Development. Championships. Being an Olympic athlete is a position that Canadians under-stand. There are not that many, and alsoFOR MORE INFORMATION Connect with Ashley Lacourciere at 705.728.1968, ext. 1317as Indigenous people, were very few andor ashley.lacourciere@georgiancollege.cafar between. It gave me an opportunityGeorgianCollege.ca/ANPDto go though doors I might not have got through, she explains.Ontario Native Womens Association59'