Janice Forsyth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Janice Forsyth
Janice Forsyth (2017)
Born	Toronto, Ontario
Education	University of Western Ontario

Janice Forsyth is a Canadian professor at Western University in London, Ontario. She teaches about people and society (Sociology) and leads the Indigenous Studies program. Janice Forsyth used to be a university athlete. In 2002, she won the Tom Longboat Regional Award for Ontario.

Early Life and Education

Janice Forsyth was born in Toronto, Ontario. She grew up in northern Ontario. Her mother's family comes from the Fisher River Cree and Peguis First Nations in Manitoba, Canada.

University Studies and Sports

Janice Forsyth earned three degrees from Western University. She got her first degree (a BA) in 1997. She then completed a MA in 2000 and a PhD in 2005. For her PhD, she studied how sport connects with society and culture.

While at Western University, she was a varsity athlete. She won several awards for her sports achievements. She earned a medal in badminton at the Ontario University Athletics Championships. She also won a silver medal in the 3000 metres race at the 1995 Track & Field Championship. In 2002, she received the Tom Longboat Regional Award for Ontario at the North American Indigenous Games.

Career and Research

After finishing her studies, Janice Forsyth became a professor. From 2005 to 2008, she taught at the University of Manitoba. Then, from 2008 to 2009, she taught at the University of Alberta.

In 2010, she returned to Western University. She became an associate professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences. She also directed the International Centre for Olympic Studies at Western until 2015.

Focus on Indigenous Sport

Janice Forsyth's research looks at several important topics. These include the Olympic Games, the history of Canadian Residential Schools, and fairness in Canadian sport. She also studies sport and health for Indigenous peoples.

In 2020, she published a book called Reclaiming Tom Longboat: Indigenous Self-Determination in Canadian Sport. This book discusses the Tom Longboat Award, which is named after Onondaga runner Tom Longboat. Forsyth's book explains that this award has sometimes been used to support old government policies.

A main idea in her work is that sport is connected to politics, especially for Indigenous people. She explained in an interview that "Sport is not value-free." This means that sports often show certain values and beliefs. These might not always fit with Indigenous cultures.

Public Engagement

Beyond her university work, Janice Forsyth writes articles for news websites like HuffPost Canada and The Guardian. She has also been interviewed by many media groups. These include the Toronto Star, SportsNet, the Globe and Mail, CBC, and the Aboriginal People's Television Network.

Since 2017, she has led discussions about sport and reconciliation. This work comes from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada reports, which were released in 2015. She works with government groups and non-profit organizations in sport, physical activity, physical education, and health.

Awards and Recognition

Janice Forsyth has received several awards for her work.

• In 2013, she won the NASSH Book of the Year Award for Best Anthology. This was for her book Aboriginal Peoples and Sport in Canada: Historical Foundations and Contemporary Issues. She co-edited this book with Audrey Giles.
• Also in 2013, she received the Early Researcher Award/Premier's Research Excellence Award. This award came from the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development & Innovation.
• In 2015, she won an award for the best paper published in the journal Sport History. The paper was titled "Make the Indian Understand his Place: Politics and the Establishment of the Tom Longboat Awards at Indian Affairs and the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada."