The recent handgames tournament in Whati was a bigger success than anybody could have anticipated, according to the community’s recreation coordinator, Samantha Migwi.
The event was held at the local youth and recreation centres from Oct. 13-15.
When planning for the tournament began a couple of weeks earlier, it was intended to focus on youth specifically, but when the Tlicho Government reached out in hopes of collaborating, it took on a life of its own.
“We were anticipating just to have a small tournament focused on the youth,” Migwi said. “The week before the tournament we were approached by Tlicho Government. They said, ‘Let’s make the prize money big, let’s get everybody together.’
“Within that one-week time frame, we kind of just put our heads together on planning.”
With the Tłįchǫ Government’s support, the tournament’s prize pot was raised from $15,000 to $30,000, with $10,000 earmarked for the winner, $8000 on the line for second place, and the remainder divided among the third, fourth and fifth place teams.
The tournament’s hefty prizes attracted competitors from Lutsel K’e and Gameti, who flew in on charters.
When registration concluded on the night of Oct. 13, there were 28 teams in the running for top spot.
Spectators also showed up in droves.
“I think we had about 2,000 people total that came to see and watch and play,” Migwi said.
The competition ran late on the first two nights of the tournament, with Friday’s games concluding after midnight, and Saturday’s games running until 2 a.m. Sunday morning. Both days also ended with some late-night drum dancing.
Things were a bit more subdued on Sunday, with games kicking off after church around 2 p.m., and concluding by 8:30 p.m.
By the time the event wrapped up, Leon Nitsiza was in first place, Clarence Mackenzie was in second, and William Beaverho, Logan Nitsiza and Carter Wetrade rounded out the top five.
While not everybody could take home a prize, everyone seemed to have an enjoyable time, Migwi said.
“We had some good celebrations and great matchups,” she said. “Everybody enjoyed the social gathering, which was really nice to see.
“Social gatherings are very big in the Indigenous community,” she added. “Everyone wants to come together and share their stories and knowledge.”
For Migwi, who had never organized a handgames tournament before, the highlight of the weekend was watching the way young people and Elders interacted during the festivities.
“When it comes to having youth on the team, we want to make sure that they are also learning how to play the game and how to use hand signals, and keeping that language,” she said. “Having these tournaments and gatherings tends to be very important to the Elders too. They’re all we have left. Learning from them as much as we can is what we’re trying to do.”
While the organizers of Whati’s latest handgames tournament have certainly earned some downtime, there won’t be much opportunity for a break, as Migwi and her team are already hard at work planning the 6th Annual Therese Nitsiza Volleyball Tournament in the community, slated for the weekend of Oct. 28.