B.C. prepares to host '97 Indigenous Games

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North American Indigenous Games organizers already know that this summer's competition is going to be the biggest yet. They're also confident that it will be the best-ever version of the "Indian Olympics."

One thousand members of the host team - Team BC - and each member of the other 26 teams heading to Victoria this summer will count on the organizers to make things run smoothly. A call to the Vancouver office of the games committee reveals that a well-oiled machine is busily working out the logistical details to ensure that the scheduling nightmares experienced during the previous games in Blaine, Minnesota in 1995 will not re-surface.

The very successful Victoria Commonwealth Games are still a very fresh memory on the island. The committee, consisting almost entirely of Aboriginal people, has recruited more than 2,000 volunteers, many of them with Commonwealth Games experience. These volunteers will look after the details that will make the difference between the success or failure of the games.

The Indigenous games are meant to be more than just a top-flight athletic competition. The cultural activities that will accompany the sports will give the eight-day gathering a distinctive flavor. In addition to the more than 5,000 coaches, managers and team members involved in the youth category of competition, 500 senior athletes and 2,500 Aboriginal cultural participants will arrive on Vancouver Island in time for the opening ceremony scheduled for the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 3.

Aboriginal artists, singers, musicians, dancers and paddlers from all over the world will add to the cultural diversity of the games. Aboriginal people from New Zealand, Australia, Norway, South America, Africa and Hawaii will make cultural contributions to the event.

As part of the opening ceremony, more than 60 Aboriginal ocean-going canoes will complete a 500 km "tribal journey" with their arrival in Victoria's Inner Harbor. The "pullers" [paddlers] will be welcomed to the traditional Coast Salish territory by local chiefs in a welcoming ceremony.

There are 16 summer sports included in the medal competition: archery, track and field, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, golf, canoeing, lacrosse, rifle shooting, softball, soccer, swimming, Tae Kwon Do, volleyball and wrestling. There is one demonstration sport that might find its way onto the list of official sports in time for the 1999 games in Fargo, North Dakota - futsal, a version of indoor soccer that's played on a basketball court. Other sports that will be demonstrated for the appreciation of the fans include war canoe racing, hoop dancing, lahal (an ancient stick game) and a variety of Arctic sports.

Three annual cultural events in the Victoria region coincide with the games and will add to the excitement. The Watanmay Powwow in Brentwood Bay, put on by the Tsartlip First Nation, will be followed by the Songhees First Nations' Lekwammen Powwow in Esquimalt which in turn will be followed by the Victoria Native Friendship Centre's First Peoples' Festival in Thunderbird Park.

The election for the Assembly of First Nations national chief at an assembly in Vancouver will conclude in time for the start of the games. The chiefs, including Ovide Mercredi or his successor, are expected to attend the games.

The games logo "Our Beginnings" is the work of Victoria resident Art Thompson. The Nuu-chah-nulth/Coast Salish artist shows the Ditidaht creation story in the logo which depicts Raven offering his knowledge of the world to the people, who pass the wisdom on through the generations and are transformed by it. The image of Raven is meant to symbolize the transforming, healing power of sports and culture.

Barb Hager, games committee communications advisor, told Windspeaker that the federal and provincial governments contributed about 90 per cent of the game's $2 million budget. Corporate sponsors provided the rest.

Alex Nelson, executive director of the games, believes the Indgenous games encompass the Olympic spirit and more.

"Sports play an important role in the lives of Aboriginal youth throughout Canada and the United States. They offer our young people an opportunity to develop on many levels - physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual. The North American Indigenous Games bring together thousands of young athletes, their coaches and managers, in a spirit of competition, friendship and cultural sharing," he said.

Unlike the Olympic or Commonwealth games, spectators won't need a ticket to see most of the competitions. Organizers say they may have to charge admission to some of the finals and perhaps the opening and closing ceremonies to be held at the University of Victoria's Centennial Stadium, but otherwise there will be no charge for admission.