From Olympics to FIFA World Cup, Vancouver is leading the way on Indigenous inclusion

Spread across the many large screens broadcasting World Cup matches and food stalls selling local dishes like poutine, Vancouver’s fan festival includes exhibits celebrating the host city’s indigenous communities: the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh nations.

However, the First Nations have been involved in more than just the fan fest. They are partners of the local World Cup Organizing Committee, building on a tradition that started at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

It’s the latest example of how Indigenous inclusion is increasingly playing a role in major sporting events, from the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in LA.

Vancouver’s goal was to ensure First Nations had a seat at the table in the World Cup planning process, ultimately providing a platform that brings awareness to the city’s Indigenous communities and creates a lasting legacy.

«What we discovered at the 2010 Games, and now, is that one of the most important messages is sharing the diversity of culture that we have. We are not all the same, and I don’t think we just live in the history books, we are alive and thriving today,» said Tewanee Joseph, the Secretariat of Major Sports, Entertainment and Major Events for the Squamish Nation.

Joseph served as CEO of the Four Host First Nations for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, which took place on the traditional territories of the Squamish, Tsleil-Wauth, Musqueam and Lil’Wat nations.

The groups’ involvement in the Winter Games marked the first time indigenous people were recognized by the International Olympic Committee as official host partners.

Vancouver wasn’t the only city to involve Indigenous communities in its World Cup planning. In Seattle, the Puyallup Tribe was an official Presenting Legacy Sponsor of SeattleFWC26, the city’s host organization.

Toronto’s opening ceremony for the World Cup featured Indigenous dancers and Peguis First Nation musician William Prince, while the fan festival’s Tkaronto Market featured local goods and art.

In Mexico, FIFA partnered with the National Fund for the Promotion of Handicrafts to promote indigenous artisans in football-themed folk art products.

Ahead of this World Cup, FIFA has made the involvement of indigenous peoples “a central pillar of its sustainability and human rights strategy, promoting respectful cooperation” with communities in all three host countries.

In 2023, FIFA partnered with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for the Unite for Indigenous Peoples campaign.

The initiative was a centerpiece of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, hosted by New Zealand and Australia. FIFA, led by a panel of six indigenous women, ensured that both Australian First Nations and New Zealand Maori cultures were included.

Indigenous terms were used on all signage and flags flew at stadiums. In New Zealand, the traditional Māori karanga call was performed before each match, while in Australia, pre-game ceremonies included a welcome to country by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander elders.

And it’s not just FIFA. Organizers of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are drawing on lacrosse’s indigenous history to bring the sport back to the games as a medal event for the first time since 1908.

The Haudenosaunee (formerly known as the Iroquois) are considered the inventors of the sport and have lobbied their supporters to participate in the LA Games as an independent nation, but have thus far been unsuccessful.

Paula Amos of Indigenous Tourism BC said the relief efforts during the World Cup are critical. According to Destination BC, Indigenous tourism has a $1.1 billion economic impact on British Columbia each year, with 31% of international visitors seeking Indigenous experiences.

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“We are saying that once the final whistle blows, it is not the end, because we are here to inspire visitors to want to come back and bring their families back and have an experience, an indigenous tourism experience,” Amos said. “Vancouver is the great gateway to the province, so we use it to make sure we showcase all parts of the province so we keep people coming back but wanting to explore more.”

As partners in the planning and organization of the event, each of the three First Nations will receive $6 million for existing projects. The Squamish plan to build a youth soccer field in West Vancouver.

But the most important legacy is intangible.

“My favorite part is seeing our country members walking the streets of Vancouver, participating in the fan fest, sitting here at our own viewing events, and the pride they show because people ask questions about our culture, they ask how important we are, they let us know,” Joseph said. «For us, to see our members there, front and center, with their chins up, held high and proud. For me, that’s so many of the memories I have. It’s really the people and the interaction between the people and the cultures.»

Published on July 9, 2026