Each year on September 30, Canadians observe the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, a day set aside to honour survivors of residential schools, their families, and the communities that continue to feel the impact of these institutions. It is a moment to reflect on the truths of our history, to acknowledge the injustices experienced by Indigenous peoples, and to commit to reconciliation as an ongoing, collective responsibility.

While remembrance and education are central to this day, reconciliation also calls us to find ways of coming together, of creating shared experiences rooted in respect, equality, and understanding. Sport—and boxing in particular—offers one such avenue.

On Sept 30th 2025 Boxing Canada reflected on building bridges to our Indigenous members and communities.

This year we will highlight the status of and options for Indigenous members within Boxing Canada.

Memberships

Boxing Since 2022 Boxing Canada has been publishing the number of self-identified Indigenous memberships sold each year. For the past two years we have been publishing province by province, and territory by territory, breakdowns of these statistics. Between 2022 and 2026 this number has increased – but is likely far under the actual representation due to a few factors:

• Self-identification has not been reported consistently by all provinces. In 2026 two provinces were still not reporting self-identification to the NSO, and one province has removed the question completely from their membership forms.
• Members may not feel comfortable self-reporting their Indigenous status.

Programming

The Fighting Spirit program was created around the Canada Cup, but is now expanding to additional locations. Boxing Canada supports indigenous boxing clubs though partnerships with existing program to create interest, support participation, and provide a positive first experience for young boxers.

2026 Elite Nationals is being hosted by the Membertou First Nation and will showcase the Membertou Boxing Club. This partnership hosting our Canadian Championship is an opportunity for boxers across Canada to participate in our sport on equal ground. It will also bring the highest quality Olympic style boxing to an Indigenous communities in Atlantic Canada.

Coach and Officials Support is available for members who have self-identified as Indigenous. Costs for Coach Evaluations and Officials Courses are eligible for NSO subsidies is PTSO or PTCR (Provincial Coaching organizations such as Coaching Ontario or ViaSport).

The Buckskin Gloves tournament has been restarted in British Columbia and Boxing Canada is investing in the event with the goal of having a full indigenous multi-day tournament.

National Team

The High Performance program includes two self-identified Indigenous athletes in Elite and who are categorized as National Squad and Podium Potential. There are also a number of yet-uncategorized athletes at the U17, U19, and U23 levels.

Indigenous Committee

The Indigenous committee exists to provide guidance and reflection on all aspects of Boxing Canada programming and policies. Understanding where the hurdles, friction points, and oversights exist that could be limiting participation is critical to Boxing Canada achieving our overall goal of increasing membership from 11000 to 17500 by 2035. Indigenous participation is a critical part of this increase.

Posted on: September 30, 2026