For three days this week, young athletes from more than 50 communities across the state will fill Anchorage's Alaska Airlines Center to compete in the Native Youth Olympic Games.
Elementary to high school-aged students will participate in nearly a dozen competitions. Nicole Johnson — who was once a record-setting competitor and is now the games' head official — said each event is based on a traditional subsistence skill that was crucial to survival in Alaska.
"We play these games to remind our young athletes and our coaches and to educate the people around us how hard life was for our Indigenous people," Johnson said.
Events like the one-foot and two-foot high kick originated in Alaska's north. Johnson said hunters used those to let the village know if the hunt was successful. And the Dene stick pull — which uses a stick covered in grease — simulates grabbing a fish by the tail.
Johnson says that every game has a unique story.
"The Inuit stick pull was played to develop the strength in your hands, your back and your legs, so you could pull seals out of the water, up onto the ice," she said.
The games are meant to preserve and promote Alaska Native cultures, and to help young athletes develop a sense of identity and build friendships with peers and coaches. Johnson – who has been involved in the games for at least 20 years – says that some of her best friends are the same people she competed against growing up.
"Those are relationships that carry you through a lifetime," she said.
The event started more than fifty years ago, with a few dozen participants at the Mountain View Boys and Girls Club. This year, the games will bring together more than 460 students to compete.
"The growth has been amazing, and hopefully it continues to grow," Johnson said.
The Native Youth Olympic Games, hosted by the Cook Inlet Tribal Council, also feature an arts and crafts expo and resources for learning about college and career opportunities.
The event is free and open to the public and starts at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.