The NWT’s Dene games team for the 2024 Arctic Winter Games has been selected, and for the first time ever, an open women’s category will be included.
“It’s the first time they’ve had an open women’s category, so it’s quite a historical event,” said Shawna McLeod, one of four women to earn a spot in the new category. “I’m really excited. My sister’s actually representing Yukon for the Dene games open women category. It’s really cool that we’re able to come together through Dene games again and compete and celebrate this wonderful, historical time for women in Dene games.”
Theresa Lynn, another team member, added, “The men had an open males division for I don’t know how many years now, so it works out perfectly now because the women are finally able to compete. There are a lot of women that I know that competed when they were younger, but now they’re able to come back and join the games as an adult.”
The 2024 Arctic Winter Games (AWG) are scheduled for March 10 to 16, 2024 in Alaska’s Mat-Su Valley.
Tryouts for the NWT Dene games team occurred at the recreation centre in Fort Simpson from Dec. 15 to 17.
According to McLeod, who was also volunteering at the tryouts, 64 athletes showed up from all over the territory to vie for spots in one of four age categories split between genders.
Participants competed in stick pull, snow snake and finger pull — all traditional games — with the highest four scorers in each category earning a spot on the team.
“It was all individual events,” said McLeod. “Once you’re selected for the team, at the Arctic Winter Games, you’re expected to do pole push as a team and hand games as a team [as well].”
A Dene and Métis citizen who was born in Fort Providence but now lives in Fort Simpson, McLeod has been practising Dene games she was about 14, and will bring a significant amount of experience to the 2024 AWG.
“I’ve been to a couple of Arctic Winter Games,” she said. “I participated in the Youth Ambassador Program as sort of a Dene games rep at the 2010 Olympics. I went to Los Angeles with NWT Tourism to do Dene games demonstrations, and then I worked with the Aboriginal Sports Circle (of the NWT) developing the Dene games (territorial sport organization).
“I’ve got lots of experience with Dene games.”
Lynn, a Yellowknives Dene First Nation member who works as a recreation coordinator in Dettah, will be competing at the AWG for the first time. She didn’t initially intend to try out for the Dene games team, but after helping area youth practice for several weeks, she decided it was worth a shot.
Despite her inexperience, she ended up setting the highest score for the open women’s category in snow snake at 252 feet.
“I just set (the record) … I’m sure there will be lots of people breaking it down the road,” she said.
McLeod and Lynn will be joined in the open women’s division by Lydia Nelner from Fort Simpson and Courtney Charlie from Aklavik. With a blend of experience and raw talent on the team, both women are optimistic the NWT will perform well in Dene games at the 2024 AWG.
“Our team, for the open women’s category, we’ve got a really strong team,” said McLeod. “All of the other divisions as well, they competed hard and worked really hard to make it to the top, and the top four are all really strong in each category.”
“I’m excited for sure,” added Lynn. “I definitely need to get some more training in now that I’ve made the team. The other women I’m competing with have gone to the games before, and they know what they’re doing, so I’m definitely going to learn from them and also the coaches.”