The Indigenous Sport Gallery at the BC Sports Hall of Fame is the largest known permanent gallery in the world dedicated to Indigenous sport and it can now be experienced online by visitors from across Canada. The Digital Indigenous Sport Gallery has been brought to life with the Hall’s partnership with the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (I-SPARC) and with financial support from Canadian Heritage, the Province of BC, and the BC Arts Council.
The Digital Indigenous Sport Gallery is designed to increase the accessibility of the Indigenous Sport Gallery and highlight the accomplishments and contributions of Indigenous athletes, coaches and builders who have had a profound impact on sport history and culture – and bring their stories to life. The Hall partnered with artist Olivia George, from Tsleil-Waututh Nation, to create custom illustrations that are featured throughout the site.
Key features of the site include a 360-degree virtual guide of the gallery with additional content not found in the physical gallery, such as a narrated tour of the gallery, video profiles of featured athletes/honoured members, and 3D interactive artifacts. In addition, the site includes educational content in the form of extended biographies on our featured athletes/honoured members, historical timeline that intertwines the impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples in Canada and the contributions of Indigenous athletes to Canadian sport heritage, and a territories map where visitors can learn more about what Nations and communities athletes are from.
To explore the site and to learn more about the contributions of Indigenous athletes to BC’s sport heritage, visit the Digital Indigenous Sport Gallery.