Board of Directors

The Board of Directors brings decades of knowledge and understanding of Indigenous sport, physical activity, and recreation priorities and issues in urban, rural, and on-reserve contexts across the country, as well as extensive experience in Indigenous research and policy development and evaluation at the local, regional, and national levels.

Rob Newman
President

Rob grew up in rural Saskatchewan and is a proud citizen of the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan. Rob's journey as a volunteer began when he joined the board of Saskatoon Youth Soccer. Increasingly aware of the value of sport and volunteerism, he was next elected as a board member and then President of Saskatchewan Soccer. Rob then sat on the board of the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) for 9 years. While with the CSA, he served as the vice president responsible for governance, which led to changes that are still in place today.

Rob is currently the CEO of Sport BC and SBC Insurance. In addition, Rob is the Chair of the National Sport Trust Fund and Vice-Chair of KidSport Canada.

Rob strongly believes that sport can help build happier and healthier communities, while at the same time providing important life lessons to children and youth.

Janice Forsyth
Vice-President

Janice Forsyth, member of the Fisher River Cree Nation, is a Professor of Indigenous Land-Based Physical Culture and Wellness in the School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education, at the University of British Columbia. She has devoted her entire career to supporting and advancing Indigenous sport development in Canada through research, teaching, and service. She is co-editor of the recently released Decolonizing Sport (2023) and, previous to that, authored and co-edited two award-winning books, Reclaiming Tom Longboat: Indigenous Self-Determination in Canada (2020) and Aboriginal Peoples and Sport in Canada: Historical Foundations and Contemporary Issues (2013). More detailed information about Janice's work can be found on her research website at https://janiceforsyth.ca

Brendon Smithson
Director

Brendon is the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the 2023 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) Host Society in Kjipuktuk (Halifax). One of his main deliverables was providing a safe and supportive environment to over 5,000 Indigenous youth from across Turtle Island. Brendon is currently on secondment from his work with the Province of Nova Scotia as a Sport and Recreation Consultant supporting the growth of sport, recreation and physical activity within the Mi'kmaw communities. Previous to his time with the Province, Brendon worked in Municipal Recreation for 10 years as a Director where he focused on creating inclusive environments for all participants.

In Brendon's free time he can be found in and around the lacrosse community in Nova Scotia where he is a player, coach, board member and official. When not on the lacrosse floor he enjoys all that Nova Scotia has to offer, especially its great outdoors and is a passionate football fan.

Edward (Sonny) Albert
Director

Edward Albert, also known as Sonny, is a proud member of Norway House Cree Nation located in northern Manitoba, Treaty 5 territory.

Sonny's passion for sports and recreation developed at a young age as he watched his father provide recreational opportunities in his remote northern community.

This led Sonny to pursue an undergraduate degree in Recreation Management which he attained from the University of Manitoba and a Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Sport and Recreation from the University of Alberta. His experience includes providing recreation management at the grassroots level and at the provincial level.

Sonny's enthusiasm and leadership underpin his drive to increase the holistic perspective and bring Indigenous ways of life to modern sport and recreation. He seeks to create complete communities through holistic models and practices.

Charly Buyck
Director

Charly is a citizen of the Nacho Ny'ak Dun First Nation with maternal roots in the Mohawk Territory. She was born and raised in a small village in Northern Yukon, where she participated in every sport and recreation opportunity provided with the aim of participating in the Arctic Winter Games. Multi-sport games became a passion and the start of a lifelong career in the sport, physical activity and recreation sector working in government and government relations.

Charly has participated in 28 games in various roles from athlete, coach, Chef de Mission and many Host Society Roles which includes 5 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG). She has been a representative on various committees with the ASC and the NAIG Council for 15 years and opened the Yukon Aboriginal Sport Circle (transitioning it from a previous board).

Charly believes that sport and recreation can bring communities together and is passionate about Indigenous sport and its possibilities, Charly is excited to apply her skills in service of the members and Canada's youth.

Sara-Lynne Knockwood
Director

Sara-Lynne Knockwood is a Mi'kmaq woman from Sipekne'katik First Nation in Nova Scotia. Growing up as a competitive athlete, Sara-Lynne's journey in sport has very much influenced her academic and professional career. These experiences have led her to complete a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, followed by a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in sport and recreation management. Sara-Lynne has over 20 years of experience in the Indigenous sport and recreation field, as well as, working with NS Mi'kmaw communities. This work has continued to fuel her passion for creating opportunities for Indigenous youth through sport; most recently as the Director of Sport and Venue with the 2023 North American Indigenous Games held in Kjipuktuk/Halifax in July of 2023.

Following NAIG, Sara-Lynne remains committed to fostering the growth and empowerment of Indigenous communities through her consultancy endeavors with Knockwood Consulting.

Roiahtate Horn
Director

Roiahtate is a 34 year old Kanien:keha'ka of Kahnawake. He has used sports from a young age as an avenue to see Turtle Island and is a firm believer in the empowerment that sports bring to Indigenous youth. He competed in two North American Indigenous Games (Denver and Cowichan) as a golfer and coached golf in one (Regina). He also spent 10 years as a Hockey Quebec on-ice official, with two of those years spent in the Provincial system as an on-ice official for collegiate and triple letter games across Quebec. He used his experience in refereeing to travel to the Inuit community of Kangiqsujuaq to referee their U18 hockey tournament while helping to establish their refereeing and supervising structure.

Roiahtate is currently the Director of Sports and Recreation for the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake. With oversight of all minor sports, facilities and programming, Roiahtate hopes to increase capacity and accessibility to sports and recreation activities in Kahnawake. With his appointment to the Board of Directors of the Aboriginal Sport Circle, Roiahtate hopes to work with other communities across Kanata to increase accessibility to sports and recreation initiatives, thus building healthier, and more empowered communities.

Jamie Brake
Director

Jamie is a proud member of the Qalipu First Nation, part of the Mi'kmaq Nation, and resides in Meadows, one of 67 traditional Mi'kmaq communities in Newfoundland and Labrador.

From an early age, Jamie embraced the values of sport and volunteerism. His commitment to community service began through coaching youth in ice hockey, volleyball, and baseball across the province. This passion for giving back led him to serve on the municipal council of Meadows for 12 years, including six years as Mayor. During his tenure, Jamie played a key role in the design and development of the outdoor community rink, now a central hub for recreation in Meadows and surrounding areas. He also oversaw governance and recreational programming for residents of all ages.

Jamie has contributed significantly to the advancement of youth sport, serving for seven years in various coaching roles with Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador's High-Performance Program. He was also Head Coach of Team Atlantic Male's ice hockey team for five years, competing in the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships. More recently, Jamie has focused on expanding access to ice hockey in remote northern communities, sharing his expertise and creating opportunities for Indigenous youth.

Currently, Jamie is an instructor in the Civil Engineering Technology program at College of the North Atlantic in Corner Brook, NL. He remains deeply committed to promoting active lifestyles through sport and recreation, recognizing their vital role in shaping and empowering Indigenous youth and young adults.