Opening ceremonies kick off 2018 Dene Games Summit in Inuvik

The 2018 Dene Games Summit opening ceremonies kicked off two days of traditional games in Inuvik Sunday, Feb. 11.

The opening ceremonies featured talks from community leaders, drum dancing, game demonstrations, and more.

Student athletes from Aklavik, Fort McPherson, Paulatuk, Tsiigehtchic, Tuktoyaktuk, Ulukhaktok, and Newmarket, Ont., joined community members and East Three school officials for the ceremony in the East Three Elementary gymnasium to kick off the sixth annual summit.

Donald Kuptana, a summit official, said he’s been working with the youth for the last five years at the games and has seen them develop their skills and confidence over the years.

“These games are probably one of the best tools that we have for developing our youth, helping them make healthier choices in life, and it’s so good to see,” Kuptana said. “I’m just so proud of our youth. I’ve seen them grow up and develop their skills and come out of their shells of being shy.”

Approximately 200 youth will participate in the games, followed by a closing ceremony on Wednesday morning.

“Over the next few days, we’re going to have our youth from all these communities try the games out,” Kuptana said. “It’s so much fun to watch them do their best. We love to showcase our games, and demonstrate a little bit of our culture.”

Along with a sense of cultural pride, Kuptana said the games carry on important traditions from the past.

“When we were younger, we played the games outside all the time. These guys, they don’t go out hunting every weekend, it’s just not that way anymore,” Kuptana said. “But, with these games, we’re bridging our way of life, on the land, to these youth through our games.”

He added that some of the youth are surprised to learn that their parents played these games too.

“These games are from their ancestry,” Kuptana said. “Whenever I talk with some of these youth and about how their parents played these games too, they’re just happy. They didn’t know their parents played these games, too.”

Kuptana said the games are important to connect youth to elders in the community.

“The best thing about our games is the interaction we have with our elders. Youth go up and talk to the elders, even just to tell the story about who they are,” Kuptana said. “Whenever I see a kid getting a chair for an elder, that makes me so happy.”

Kuptana credits the teachers at all of the community schools, as well as volunteers, for making the summit a reality.

“I’d just like to thank all of the volunteers who make this event possible,” Kuptana said. “When we started this six years ago, we didn’t know it was going to be this strong. We wanted it to be, of course, but all the volunteers in the smaller communities make it possible for the youth to play these games.”

Kuptana stressed the benefits of the games for youth in the communities.

“I think it’s important to make new friends, get out of your silo, getting out to interact at a gathering where you have different kids from different communities,” Kuptana said. “Anybody can play these games, doesn’t matter if you’re aboriginal or not.”