Join us on March 14 2025 for this one-on-one demonstration and discussion with Eric Porter and Emily King about the world of Arctic Sports.
RSVP here: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9zwjvjgvHLzdYqi
Biographies
ERIC PORTER, Traditional Sports Instructor, Yukon Aboriginal Sport Circle, https://www.yasc.ca/
Eric grew up in Watson Lake in the Yukon and is a member of the Kaska First Nation. His family’s traditional use area is in Northern BC. Eric enjoyed playing most sports from a young age and carried that passion on through his teen years into adulthood. Before moving to Alberta for college, Eric represented Team Yukon in 2015 for track and field at the Western Canada summers games. Eric spent two years in a town called Olds taking sports management and playing soccer/futsal. He returned to the Yukon in 2019 and he’s now teaching Arctic Sports among other sports supported by the Yukon Aboriginal Sport Circle.
EMILY KING, Arctic Sports athlete
Emily King has been involved in the Arctic Sports community since 2015, and has travelled within Canada, as well as Greenland and Alaska to compete. She has participated in various events, such as the Arctic Winter Games, Native Youth Olympics, and the Indigenous Summer Games. Most recently, Emily competed at the World Eskimo Indian Olympics, where she won overall athlete at the competition and set a new record for the traditional one-foot high kick.
Photos of Emily by Dida Heilmann taken at the World Eskimo Indian Olympics, July 2024.
Arctic Sports Overview
Arctic Sports have been an important part of the Inuit way of life and have been played throughout history. The Dene have played Dene Games throughout history, and both of these sports have specific components to prepare these Indigenous groups to survive in the vast North. These games test the competitors strength, endurance, and pain resistance. Arctic Sports’ main games include: One-Foot High Kick, Two-Foot High Kick, Alaskan High Kick, One-Hand Reach, Airplane, Kneel Jump, and seven other games. Dene Games main games include: Finger Pull, Hand Games, Snow Snake, Stick Pull, Pole Push. These games are played during community festivals and are meant to be fun and competitive, while bridging important connection to the land. Historically, these games were played when people arrived home from successful hunting trips, to get through the cold winter months, and build community amongst each other. These events are more about achieving a personal best than beating the competition, as survival depended on their willingness to help each other. Today, these sports are still practiced by many Inuit, Dene, and other peoples who have been introduced to the games. Athletes train for international competitions such as the Arctic Winter Games, World Eskimo Indian Olympics, and will be included in the North American Indigenous Games for the first time since its establishment in 1990.
RSVP here: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9zwjvjgvHLzdYqi