WHITEHORSE - With an unprecedented Northern and aboriginal presence at the Canada Winter Games, some participants think the event has found something special: its spirit.

Inuvik's Kyle Ross-Kuptana kicks and misses by a hair in the one-foot high kick during the Inuit Games in Whitehorse. The event joined the Canada Winter Games as a demonstration sport this year. - Adam Johnson/NNSL photo

"I strongly believe that this is the part that was missing from the Games," said Deh Cho Drummer Gerry Antoine, who is originally from Rabbit Skin River, near Fort Simpson.

"It's that spiritual appreciation of life," he said

Antoine, along with fellow drummers Ricky Gargan, from Fort Providence, and Joseph Nayally, from Wrigley, performed more than 20 times at the Games, injecting a little spirit into concerts, special events and the Gathering of Nations, a meeting of First Nations' representatives from around the North.

That spirit was strong at the Inuit Games at F.H. Collins secondary school, as the Inuit Games joined the Canada Games as a demonstration sport. Participants from the NWT, Nunavut and Yukon leaped, pulled and hopped all day Thursday in stunning displays of physical prowess.

Team NWT scored in the top three of several events, with Paulatuk's Marion Green taking second in the Alaskan high kick, and Craig Gruben taking first in the knuckle hop. They finished sixth and fifth overall.

Paulatuk's Dwayne Illasiak didn't bring home any medals this time around, but he said he will bring some great memories back to the NWT.

"It was awesome, a great experience, he said. "Just awesome."

Team Nunavut was the big winner, with the men taking first and second overall, bolstered by Tootoo Tanuyak's four first place finishes, and the women taking home first and third, thanks to Blair Tautu's two first and second place wins.

Afterwards, Team NWT coach Donald Kuptana said he would like to see Inuit Games become a permanent part of the Games.

"I think it could work," he said. "It would be a lot of work, but it could be done."

Of course, the NWT will be well represented across the board at the Games, with participants taking on 14 sports over two weeks.

Hay River biathlete Brendan Green pulled off some of the strongest finishes for the NWT in the first week of the games.

Green came in fourth place in the 15 kilometre(modified to 12.5 kilometres), and fifth in the 10 kilometre sprint(modified to nine kilometres.

Green will be pulling a double shift at the games, competing in cross-country skiing during the second week.

In late January, Green was anchor for Canada's national junior biathlon team that claimed a bronze medal at the World Championships in Van Martello, Italy.

Things were less rosy for the NWT hockey team, as it fell 0-13 and 0-17 to Team Saskatchewan and Team Alberta, respectively, followed by a 1-7 loss to Team PEI.

The team was scheduled to take on Team Yukon Friday.