North American Indigenous Games

The North American Indigenous Games is a multi-sport event involving indigenous North American athletes staged intermittently since 1990. The 2006 staging of the Games were managed by the Native American Sports Council, Inc., a non-profit member organization of the United States Olympic Committee. The Games are governed by the North American Indigenous Games Council, a 26-member council of representatives from 13 provinces and territories in Canada and 13 regions in the United States.

History

The first Indigenous Games were held in 1990 in Edmonton, Alberta, followed by Games in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan in 1993, Blaine, Minnesota in 1995, Victoria, British Columbia in 1997, and Winnipeg, Manitoba in 2002. The 2006 Indigenous Games were held between July 2 and July 8, 2006 in Denver, Colorado. The 2008 Games took place in Duncan, British Columbia. The 2011 games were to be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but about a year before the games were to be held, Milwaukee withdrew its host application due to lack of financial backers. Other arrangements have, however, been made and the NAIG are indeed being held in Milwaukee, July 2011 on a smaller scale. Some 1700 athletes, trainers, and chaperons are scheduled to attend.

Approximately 10,000 athletes from the United States and Canada took part in the 2006 Games, with more than 1,000 tribes represented. In addition to sporting events, the Games included a parade and a variety of cultural performances. The opening ceremonies were held at Invesco Field at Mile High and the closing ceremonies were held at Skyline Park.

Editions

Edition	Host	Notes
1990	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada	First North American Indigenous Games
1993	Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada
1995	Blaine, Minnesota, United States of America
1997	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
2002	Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
2006	Denver, Colorado, United States
2008	Duncan, BC, Canada
2011	Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA	"Games not cancelled but being held on a smaller scale than previous years"

Sports

Gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded in sixteen sports:

• Archery
• Badminton
• Basketball
• Baseball
• Boxing
• Canoeing
• Golf
• Lacrosse
• Rifle Shooting
• Soccer
• Softball
• Swimming
• Tae Kwon Do
• Track and Field and Cross-country running
• Volleyball
• Wrestling

References

• Staff writers. "2006 Indigenous Games wrap up in Denver," Indian Country Today, 2006-07-14. Retrieved on 2006-07-28.

See also