FitSpirit Is Building Bridges with Indigenous Organizations

Since it was founded, in 2007, FitSpirit has been promoting the inclusion of youth regardless of their abilities, weight, physical condition, ethnic or religious background, functional limitations, as well as gender identity or sexual orientation. FitSpirit aims for its approach to best meet the needs of the various demographics it serves, including adolescent girls from Indigenous communities. Thanks to the collaboration with Manulife, FitSpirit is developing partnerships with organizations representing the First Nations of Quebec and Indigenous high schools to directly contribute to the health and well-being of young girls in these communities.

Key Partnerships

Through partnerships with regional organizations committed to girls' physical activity, geographical limitations are becoming less of a barrier to deploying non-competitive multisport teams in Quebec high schools.

To meet the needs of adolescent girls in Indigenous communities, Élisabeth Lagacé, program advisor at FitSpirit, works with organizations and individuals to implement FitSpirit’s approach, namely the First Nations Education Council (FNEC) and the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission (FNQLHSSC), two essential organizations in promoting healthy lifestyles in Indigenous communities.

Meaningful Encounters

Thanks to the relationships developed between organizations and FitSpirit, Élisabeth had the opportunity to participate in the First Nations Education Council's Ancestors Challenge tour (a colorful obstacle course race) in the communities of Opitciwan, Mashteuiatsh, and Manawan in 2023. FitSpirit was able to offer a non-competitive activity for girls during its visit to the Atikamekw community of Manawan. In total, 74 teenage girls from the community participated in the obstacle course, with a participation rate of 100%. Discover everything Elisabeth experienced and what she took away from her experience at the Ancestors Challenge here.

FitSpirit is also invited to participate in various events for Indigenous youth, such as a wellness week in the Atikamekw community of Opitciwan in April 2024, and the 16th edition of the FNEC Inter-School Games at the PEPS of Université Laval in Quebec City, an annual sports event that brings together hundreds of young people from different communities in Quebec aged 10 to 18.

Relationships Filled with Learning

So far, four institutions in Indigenous territories have chosen to offer FitSpirit to their teenage girls! The school administrator of a school from last year even reported that being involved in a FitSpirit team allowed her to see the first graduate in the school's history complete her 5th year of secondary school!

A fruitful collaboration relies on trust that is built over time, as well as respect for each other's pace and resources. That is why we continue to listen to the needs of the communities and educate ourselves so that our programs continue to have positive impacts on the physical activity of Indigenous teenage girls. In February 2024, Elisabeth met with representatives from different Nations at the regional meeting "Sport and Physical Activity among First Nations and Inuit in Quebec" organized by FNQLHSSC in Quebec City. She had the opportunity to learn more about the specificities related to promoting healthy lifestyles and physical activity in Indigenous territories that will enhance FitSpirit’s tools.

The learning process has allowed us to identify the distinctive elements of the FitSpirit approach that would have the greatest impact on teenage girls in communities. Inspiring role models and the non-competitive aspect of sports activities are two key elements that need to be emphasized more to allow girls to learn basic skills without pressure or judgment. Additionally, mobilizing teenage girls also involves the engagement of women in the community to make FitSpirit everyone's business!

By offering more opportunities for movement to young people in Indigenous communities, FitSpirit hopes to contribute to getting teenage girls active for life and enabling them to enjoy the many benefits of a physically active lifestyle!

Thanks to our partner Manulife, who is committed to developing healthy lifestyles for the well-being and health of everyone. Through their support, we are able to continue offering the FitSpirit approach to Indigenous communities to allow us to build connections and deploy our mission among Indigenous communities.

“Through our Impact Agenda, we’re committed to empowering sustained health and well-being to support the journey towards a better life” Says Alexis Gerbeau, Head of Manulife Quebec. “That’s why we’re proud to support FitSpirit’s Indigenous Outreach Program which aims to make physical activities more accessible to Indigenous girls aged 12-17.”