SEVENTH ANNUAL TRADITIONAL ALASKAN GAMES TO KICK OFF THIS WEEKEND IN JUNEAU

The seventh annual Traditional Alaskan Games will kick off this Friday in Juneau for athletes from 29 teams across Alaska, Canada and the Lower 48.

More than 260 middle school, high school, college and adult athletes from more than 20 communities will compete in 12 events that are based on ancient hunting and survival skills of Indigenous people.

The event will feature visiting teams from Seattle and Whitehorse and from across Alaska, including Hoonah, Metlakatla, Ketchikan, Sitka, Petersburg, Kake, Klawock, Thorne Bay, Anchorage, Seward, Sterling, Homer, Chickaloon Village, Utqiagvik and Nome. Students will represent teams from across the University of Alaska system, as well as Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas.

It will also feature Juneau teams from Dzántik’i Héeni Middle School, Floyd Dryden Middle School, Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé, Thunder Mountain High School, Yaaḵoosgé Daakahídi High School, University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) and the Tlingit Culture, Language and Literacy Program.

The games are different from most other sports in that athletes competing against one another in the same events also encourage each other to reach new personal bests. Coaches give helpful tips and guidance to athletes from opposing teams.

The result is an uncommon comradery and respect among athletes who find a new network of supporters and friends through the games.

Coach Kyle Worl, who resurrected a high school team in Juneau after a near 30-year lull, has competed in the games for the past 16 years and describes it as a “life-changing experience.”

“The games helped build my confidence. I felt like I belonged, and that Native identity was acknowledged and embraced. It was a way to connect with my culture and come out of my shell,” said Worl, a Tlingit tribal member. Worl explained that Juneau’s event is open to parents and adults and that non-Native athletes are also welcome to compete.
The free event is scheduled from 5:30-9 pm on Friday, April 5; 9 am-6 pm on Saturday, April 6; and 9 am-5 pm on Sunday, April 7 at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. Event organizers are looking for volunteers. To volunteer, register here or contact Coach Kyle Worl at kworl@tlingitandhaida.gov or 907.227.4998.

The games will be livestreamed from noon to 6 pm, Saturday, April 6, and from 11 am to 5 pm, Sunday, April 7, on Sealaska Heritage Institute’s YouTube channel which will be accessible through the Traditional Games website. Spectators are also welcome to attend in person at Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kalé High School at 1639 Glacier Ave. in Juneau.

Athletes who have questions should contact Coach Kyle Worl at kworl@tlingitandhaida.gov or 907.227.4998.

About Traditional Games

The Traditional Games includes a variety of athletic events that test skills of strength, agility, balance, endurance and focus. These games are based on hunting and survival skills of the Indigenous peoples of Alaska and across the Arctic going back hundreds of years. Athletes strive to perform at their personal best while helping and supporting their fellow competitors, no matter what team they represent. This is the spirit of the games: to work together toward common goals and learn from the skills and values that have allowed Alaska Native people to survive and thrive in some of the harshest conditions.