On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Special Olympics Ontario acknowledges the enduring impacts of colonization on Indigenous people across Canada and North America.
Earlier this year, we began our 2024 Provincial Spring Games with an eagle feather ceremony, expressing our thanks and respect to the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, whose traditional land we share today. We’re grateful to Elder Myeeengun Henry and Special Olympics Burlington athlete Thunder Maxwell for leading this ceremony and are committed to continue this practice at future Games as we strive for a more inclusive world and work toward a stronger relationship with Indigenous Peoples across the province.
Special Olympics Ontario celebrates and champions diversity and inclusion – a central pillar of our programming. One small, but important and necessary step is making sure we acknowledge the land on which we live, play and grow. This means the land where we practice, compete, work and host Games. We encourage our community volunteers to view our resource page on land acknowledgements blow: