Indigenous athletes are assisted by the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) in realizing the combined potential of their bodies, brains, spirits, and people, as well as their ambitions and dreams—a spirit that is powerful, brave, and honest.
In Kjipuktuk (Halifax), Dartmouth, and Millbrook First Nation, the Games will bring together 756 Indigenous Nations to celebrate, share, and re-connect through sport and culture.
The goal of NAIG is to raise the standard of living for Indigenous Peoples by promoting self-determined sports and cultural endeavors that promote equal access to participation in the social, cultural, and spiritual life of the communities in which they live and that respect Indigenous distinctiveness.
The 10th North American Indigenous Games will take place in Nova Scotia, Canada, from July 15–23, 2023. In 21 locations spread over Kjipuktuk (Halifax), Dartmouth, Millbrook First Nation, and Sipekne’katik, contests in 16 sports will be held.
With the aid of 3,000 volunteers, the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) 2023 will bring together more than 5,000 athletes, coaches, and team members from 756+ Indigenous Nations to celebrate, share, and re-connect through sport and culture.
A regional NAIG Council representative runs the tryouts. For further details, we advise you to get in touch with your neighborhood NAIG representative. You can contact local representatives at http://www.naigcouncil.com/contact.php.
NAIG’s History
In the 1970s, the idea of holding games for indigenous peoples first emerged. In 1971, 3,000 people attended the Native Summer Games in Enoch, Alberta, where they competed in 13 sports and other cultural competitions. On the Blood Reserve in Kainai, Alberta, the Western Canada Native Winter Games were held in 1973. Games for Indigenous Peoples were settled upon during a 1975 National Indian Athletic Association convention in Reno, Nevada. Both Willie Littlechild, a Cree from Hobbema, Alberta, and John Fletcher, a Peigan from Edmonton, Alberta, participated. John Fletcher is recognized for his support of Mr. Littlechild’s proposal to hold the Games in light of the aforementioned success.
At the World Council of Indigenous Peoples’ Annual Assembly in Sweden in 1977, the goal of holding sizable Indigenous Games advanced one step further. The proposal for hosting the International Indigenous Games was made by Willie Littlechild. It was approved without a vote. An elderly Brazilian man was so affected that he gave Willie Littlechild a war arrow that symbolized peace in his culture. This arrow would lead everything evil toward the ground if it were pointing downward. It is currently a component of the holy ritual run. The first North American Indigenous Games were held in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1990. Between 1992 and 1993, the hosts from Edmonton, Alberta, and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, along with other crucial persons, assisted in the formation of the NAIG Council.
Read more about this big event at https://naig2023.com/
Reference:
https://naig2023.com/
https://www.halifax.ca/
Photo credits to: https://naig2023.com/
