Arctic Winter Games

The Arctic Winter Games is an international biennial celebration of circumpolar sports and culture.

[edit] Background

The Arctic Winter Games were founded in 1969 under the leadership of Governor Walter J. Hickel of Alaska, Stuart M. Hodgson, Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, and Yukon Commissioner James Smith. The idea to "provide a forum where athletes from the circumpolar North could compete on their own terms, on their own turf" came from Cal Miller, an advisor with the Yukon team at the 1967 Canada Winter Games.

In 1970 in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, 500 athletes, trainers and officials came together for the first Arctic Winter Games. The participants came from Northwest Territories, Yukon and Alaska. Since then, the Games have been held on fifteen occasions in different places and with ever more participants from more and more places within the Arctic region. The games in 2002 were jointly held in Nuuk, Greenland and Iqaluit, Nunavut, and in 2000 were held in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada.

Approximately 2,000 athletes, coaches, team staff and officials participated in the 2004 Arctic Winter Games in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. The 2004 games took place from February 28 through March 6. Participating delegations include Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Alberta North, Greenland, Magadan Oblast (Russia) Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (Russia), and Lapland (comprised of the Sami peoples of Norway, Sweden and Finland. The 2006 Games will be held in Alaska by the Kenai Peninsula Borough.

The Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean, presented Aisa Pirti, a 19-year-old Inuk from Akulivik, Nunavik, with the National Aboriginal Role Model Award during a ceremony at Rideau Hall. Aisa has received 30 medals and five trophies for Inuit games in regional and circumpolar competitions, such as The Arctic Winter Games and Eastern Arctic Summer Games.