The Arctic Sports Inter-school Championships, organized by the Yukon Aboriginal Sports Circle (YASC), took place between Nov. 25-27 at the Canada Games Centre in Whitehorse.
Students from grades two to 12 competed in a range of competitive sporting events originating from traditional Inuit games. The thirteenth annual games began on Monday with over 300 competitors from schools across the territory registered to compete and potentially earn medals.
Competitors from Whitehorse were joined by others from Carcross, Carmacks, Teslin and Watson Lake.
The championships highlighted traditional games that reflect Arctic living conditions, usually promoting essential survival skills such as strength, endurance and pain resistance, according to officials at YASC.
“The Inuit stick pull that they're playing right now was used to strengthen bodies to pull seals out of the ice, they're going to use their legs to pull the seal out of the water,” said head official, Rose Inglangasuk.
The Arctic Winter Games take place every two years reflecting the sporting heritage of Indigenous peoples across Arctic regions worldwide, the official website states.
“This event (Arctic Sports Inter-school Championships) happens annually, but every year in Alaska, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories, there's our Artic Winter Games competition which happens every two years,” Inglangasuk said.
Ten games took place at the inter-school championships, according to the 2024 technical package by ACS. These include wrist carry, Inuit stick pull, scissor broad jump, one-foot-high kick, two-foot-high kick, triple jump, seal crawl, kneel jump and foot pull.
Monday’s events kicked off with high schoolers participating in the wrist carry, which involves athletes sitting on the ground, hooking their wrist around a stick, and gripping their forearm. Stick carriers lift them when they say “Lift” with the goal being to hold them off the ground the longest.
Elementary and high school students then participated in the Inuit stick pull which involved two competitors facing each other and grabbing a stick held in the centre. On “pull,” they tug the stick toward themselves, aiming to pull the other off balance or out of grip.
High school and elementary students executed high kicks, aiming to strike a target with precision for a single- or double-foot high kick. They leaped, ensuring both feet hit the ground simultaneously.
Elementary school kids in grades two to four joined the seal crawl event, pulling themselves forward with hands and arms locked at the elbows. They aim to cross the finish line in the fastest time, keeping crossed feet for better balance.
High schoolers competed in the scissor broad jump, executing a three-step forward motion. They landed on one leg, crossed the other behind, and then leaped forward landing on the crossed foot before finally jumping to landing on both feet. Scores were calculated from the starting point measurements.
Elementary competitors eagerly competed in the foot pull, a tug-of-war style event, and the triple jump, where they hopped three times, with the longest distance determining the winner.
Each day’s games concluded with medals awarded to students. Patrick Whyard, the coach from Elijah Smith Elementary, commented that the games were not part of the physical education curriculum but were a valuable opportunity for the students.
“It's not under the sort of umbrella of school sports, but definitely part of your physical education component, as well as getting kids out in the community.” Whyard said
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com
