Arctic Winter Games

Infobox Sporting Event Organization
name =Arctic Winter Games


size =
caption = Arctic Winter Games Logo
abbreviation =
motto =
formation = 1970 in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
recurrence = two years
last = 2008 Arctic Winter Games held in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
purpose = Sports for the Arctic
headquarters =
leader_title = President
leader_name = Gerry Thick
website = [http://www.arcticwintergames.org/ Arctic Winter Games.org]
remarks =

The Arctic Winter Games is an international biennial celebration of circumpolar sports and culture.

Background

The Arctic Winter Games were founded in 1969 under the leadership of Governor Walter J. Hickel of Alaska, Stuart M. Hodgson, Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, and Yukon Commissioner James Smith. The idea to "provide a forum where athletes from the "circumpolar North" could compete on their own terms, on their own turf" came from Cal Miller, an advisor with the Yukon team at the 1967 Canada Winter Games.

In 1970 in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, 500 athletes, trainers and officials came together for the first Arctic Winter Games. The participants came from Northwest Territories, Yukon and Alaska. Since then, the Games have been held on fifteen occasions in different places and with ever more participants from more and more places within the Arctic region. The games in 2002 were the first jointly hosted Arctic Winter Games, by Nuuk, Greenland and Iqaluit, Nunavut.

Participants in 2008

A total of nine contingents participated in the 2008 Arctic Winter Games held in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. The same group of teams also made up the contingency of the previous games in 2006. [Cite web|url=http://awg2006.kimik-it.gl/|title=Medal standings|accessdate=2007-03-01|year=2006|author=Arctic Winter Games International Committee]
*flagicon|Alaska Alaska, USA
*flagicon|Greenland Greenland
*flagicon|Alberta Northern Alberta, Canada
*flagicon|Northwest Territories Northwest Territories, Canada (Host Contingent)
*flagicon|Quebec Nunavik, Quebec, Canada
*flagicon|Nunavut Nunavut, Canada
*
*
*flagicon|Yukon Yukon, Canada

Host cities

*1970 - Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
*1972 - Whitehorse, Yukon
*1974 - Anchorage, Alaska
*1976 - Schefferville, Quebec
*1978 - Hay River/Pine Point, Northwest Territories
*1980 - Whitehorse, Yukon
*1982 - Fairbanks, Alaska
*1984 - Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
*1986 - Whitehorse, Yukon
*1988 - Fairbanks, Alaska
*1990 - Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
*1992 - Whitehorse, Yukon
*1994 - Slave Lake, Alberta
*1996 - Chugiak/Eagle River, Alaska
*1998 - Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
*2000 - Whitehorse, Yukon
*2002 - Nuuk, Greenland/Iqaluit, Nunavut
*2004 - Wood Buffalo, Alberta
*2006 - Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska
*2008 - Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
*2010 - Grande Prairie, Alberta

Arctic Winter Games International Committee

*Gerry Thick, President
*Wendell Shiffler, Vice President
*Lloyd Bentz, Secretary
*Ian Legaree Technical Director
*Jens Brinch
*Sharon Clarkson
*Marilyn Neily
*John Rodda
*Don Sian
*Karen Thomson

Arctic Winter Games alumni

* The Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean, presented Aisa Pirti, a 19-year-old Inuk from Akulivik, Nunavik, with the National Aboriginal Role Model Award during a ceremony at Rideau Hall. Aisa has received 30 medals and five trophies for Inuit games in regional and circumpolar competitions, such as the Arctic Winter Games and the Eastern Arctic Summer Games.

ee also

*World Eskimo Indian Olympics
*Nalukataq -- traditional blanket toss celebrations

References

External links

* [http://www.awg.ca/ Arctic Winter Games Official Website]
* [http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-41-1194/sports/arcticgames/ CBC Digital Archives — Arctic Winter Games]
* [http://www.awg.gl/ulu.html 2002 Arctic Winter Games]
* [http://pwnhc.ca/timeline/1950/AWG_1970.html 1970 The First Arctic Winter Games, NWT Historical Timeline- A Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre Online Exhibit]