The Traditional Northern Games of the Northwest Territories were played to help Inuit

survive in the harsh weather and land conditions. The pain and resistance games mimicked the weather to help deal with cold freezing weather conditions from snow and winds. If you can imagine minus -40 to minus -50 (Fahrenheit) with 15 to 20 mile per hour winds while out hunting or travelling from camp to camp with all family members.

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Playing the Northern games can save your life at some point in your life. Inuit followed the food source, either on land or on the ocean. Survival meant harvesting the animals from hunting. Seal, caribou and musk ox to name a few, these animals provided the necessities of food, clothing, fuel and materials for making tools. The strength and endurance games helped our Inuit youth build strength and endurance through the games. To help with long distance walking from camp to camp or caring animals that they harvested from the land such as caribou, musk ox and beluga whales.

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The agility games helped youth prepare for them to have successful hunts to learn patience and different hunting skills such as sneaking up to animals, so they can feed the families. These games were introduced many generations ago before nomadic family groups started to settle into villages and communities. Large family groups could only bring what they could carry. Traditional games prepared the families for the hard life on the land. The games were used to develop agility, strength, endurance and resistance to pain. The games were very important as they prepared our children for life on the land and developed skills for successful hunts.

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The Northern Games were also played at gatherings a place to meet old friends, pass on news, tell stories, drum dance and play the games. Families would gather while

visiting on their travels to their next camp. They came from great distances which are now called the circumpolar region, such as Nunavut, Alaska, Greenland and Russia Many of these games require little organization and can be played almost anywhere, out on the land around a camp area or in an Igloo.

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Traditional Northern Games strengthened families and communities. It did not matter fi you were from another family or another community. Northern Games represented friendly competition. Elders would always gather the participants and tell them the importance of trusting and helping each other. In the spirit of Inuit traditional northern games ti did not matter how high you kicked or how strong you were. These games were fun and to keep everyone physically active to survive on the land. Families would assist by encouraging and clapping to boost the individual's confidence.