Audrey R. Giles

Audrey R. Giles serves as an Assistant Professor within the School of Human Kinetics at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa. Her research centers on Aboriginal peoples' engagement in physical activity, sport, and recreation across Northern Canada, with specific emphasis on women's experiences in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Northern Alberta.

Dr. Giles' interdisciplinary research program bridges anthropology, feminist theory, and postcolonial studies to examine cultural, gendered, and historical dimensions of physical activity participation in Indigenous communities. Her expertise spans traditional games, drowning prevention, sport-for-development initiatives, and the complex interplay between cultural 'tradition' and health interventions. She investigates systemic barriers and culturally relevant pathways to increase physical activity access while addressing colonial legacies in sport and recreation contexts.