Powwow Country: Manitoba Indigenous Invitational Games, Opaskwayak Cree Nation and the Peguis First Nation, July 11-23

Manitoba Indigenous Invitational Games, Opaskwayak Cree Nation and the Peguis First Nation, July 11-23

Aboriginal athletes from Manitoba will be participating in a multi-sport competition this summer after all. But rather than travelling to Milwaukee, they will compete in their own province. In response to the cancellation of the North American Indigenous Games, which were supposed to be in Milwaukee this July, officials with the Manitoba Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Council opted to stage their own scaled-down version of the games. “We can’t keep cancelling stuff on the kids,” said MASRC executive director Mel Whitesell. As a result, the Manitoba Indigenous Invitational Games were created.

They will be held over two weeks at the Opaskwayak Cree Nation and the Peguis First Nation. About 1,200 athletes are expected when the OCN hosts soccer, basketball, canoeing, golf and archery competitions from July 11-15. An additional 800 athletes are expected when the Peguis First Nation stages softball, volleyball and wrestling events from July 19-23. The games will primarily feature under-15, under-17 and under-20 female and male age groupings. Manitoba athletes will not be the only ones participating. Since they are invitational games, groups from all provinces and territories have also been invited to compete.