NIFA (Native Indian Football Association) is a self-funded organization and team led by Coach Dano Thorne and Coach Advisor Elder Bill Wasden. NIFA enjoys immense support from various indigenous communities across Canada, but NIFA has still struggled to get its name out there in the media. Despite the squad winning two gold medals back-to-back at the World Indigenous Games, they are still relatively unknown.

The history of soccer and indigenous people of Canada is an interesting subject and at times complicated. We were amazed at the thriving and high-calibre indigenous weekend-long soccer tournaments on Vancouver Island, but we also learned of a darker side when Grandpa Bobby spoke about first learning to play soccer as a child in residential school. Many of these young indigenous players have obstacles to overcome in their communities and in their personal lives, but their love and dedication to sport is inspiring.

Learn more about NIFA on their website.