SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A three-day competition has left a group of girls in Fort Simpson enthusiastic about traditional games.

Etanda Hardisty-Beaverho of Fort Simpson competes in the two foot high kick at the second annual traditional games championships in Yellowknife March 8. - Candace Thomson/NNSL photo

Kyra Sanguez, Mary-Anne Muyambo, Shaznay Waugh, Larissa Grossetete, Starr Lafferty, Tanisha Kelly-Harris, Stevie-May Gargan-LaCasse and Etanda Hardisty-Beaverho represented Bompas Elementary School at the second annual Traditional Games Championships in Yellowknife from March 6 to 8.

The girls were among more than 200 participants on 23 teams from 20 communities across the NWT.

"It was fun," said Sanguez.

For Sanguez, 11, handgames was the best event. She'd never played that traditional game before and said it was a lot of fun.

The girls were hesitant with many of the games at first, but once they got into them they were really good, said Bernice Gargan, a Dene language instructor at the elementary school who coached the

team. The team especially built momentum in handgames on Friday.

"They were even practicing up in our room," Gargan said.

The team made it as far as the semi-finals on Saturday.

The one and two foot high kick were also popular with Sanguez and her teammate Muyambo. Muyambo, 12, finished second in the one foot high kick among the female competitors and fourth in the two foot.

Muyambo credits her success in the two events to the fact that she used to do gymnastics and the traditional games require the same movements as a pike, a position where gymnasts bend in half at the hips.

Muyambo also liked stick raise, which was a new event this year.

This was Muyambo's second year at the championships.

She said that she enjoys doing the traditional games.

The team from Bompas finished in 13th place out of the 20 teams.

A team from Deh Gah School in Fort Providence also competed.

Gargan said next year she's going to start practices earlier, possibly before Christmas, so the students can build up the upper body and leg strength that is needed for many of the games.

"I love it," Gargan said about the championships.

It's great to see the students mingling and making new friends.

They are totally different when they are in that new learning environment, she said.

The goal of the championships is to introduce the younger generation to what the traditional games are all about and why they were done originally, said Aaron Wells, a program co-ordinator with the Aboriginal Sports Circle of the NWT.

Every game has a meaning and a story behind them.

For example, the snowsnake, one of the weekend events, was designed to allow Dene hunters to harvest caribou before guns were available. The hunters would throw a spear-like tool along the snow and into the caribou's stomach, which took tremendous skill and accuracy.

Wells said that from what he saw, the kids enjoyed the games and learning about the cultural meaning behind them.

"Tying in the culture, bringing in the elders and telling the kids why they're doing it.

"That got the kids excited," he said.

– with files from James McCarthy