Junior Athletes Celebrate Culture, Sportsmanship Through Traditional Games
Every year, hundreds of athletes, coaches, families and spectators gather to celebrate the strength, agility and determination demonstrated in the Annual NYO Games Alaska. But did you know that weeks before the Senior Games commence, Junior NYO draws its own crowd of cheering fans?
More than 600 students in grades 1–6 from across Alaska will gather in the spirit of sportsmanship to compete in traditional Alaska Native contests during the 2016 Junior NYO Games, Feb. 19–21, at Mirror Lake Middle School in Chugiak.
JNYO serves as the training grounds for the Senior NYO Games, April 21–23 at the Alaska Airlines Center, as junior athletes compete in traditional skills-building contests like the Eskimo Stick Pull, Seal Hop, the One- and Two-Foot High Kicks and the Arm Pull. NYO Games promote healthy lifestyles, positive self-esteem and leadership skills, while offering insight into Alaska’s rich cultural diversity.
“NYO is more than a celebration of Alaska Native tradition; it’s an incentive that improves the lives of our children,” said Gloria O’Neill, President and CEO of Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC), which hosts the annual event. “NYO athletes help each other succeed in the games, teaching our young people the value of hard work, cooperation and achieving their personal best.”
The Games are open to all students from across the state and help foster a better cross-cultural understanding and appreciation of Alaska Native cultures. Athletes work with their coaches up to a year in advance in preparation for the event.
The first NYO Games were held in 1971, with 12 schools participating in a variety of events traditionally used by Native people as a way to test strength and endurance, and develop subsistence and survival skills. For example, in some cultures, the Kneel Jump is based on a traditional strengthening exercise used by Native hunters to prepare them for navigating ice flows while hunting marine life.
For more information, please visit citci.org/nyo-games.
What: 2016 Junior NYO Games (JNYO)
Who: More than 600 student athletes in grades 1–6 statewide
Where: Mirror Lake Middle School, 22901 Lake Hill Dr., Chugiak
When: Friday, Feb. 19, 1–8 p.m.,* Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 20–21, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.*
JNYO 2016 Schedule of Events
2016 NYO Handbook
Social Media: Facebook; Twitter: @CITCAlaska; #NYOGames
Admission: FREE
*Times are subject to change
Young student athletes face off in the Arm Pull during the 2015 Junior NYO Games. The contest was traditionally played in many cultures to test individual strength for subsistence activities. The 2016 Junior Games will be held Feb. 19–21, at Mirror lake Middle School in Chugiak. All events are free and open to the public. Photo by Wayde Carroll Photography/www.waydecarroll.com
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Tim Blum
Communication Officer
Cook Inlet Tribal Council
3600 San Jeronimo Drive
Anchorage AK 99508
(907) 793-3443 Direct
(907) 632-4768 Mobile
(907) 793-3422 Fax
(877) 985-5900 Toll Free
