2 First Nations to host return of Manitoba Indigenous Summer Games

Stefan Richard · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 31, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: March 31

After much than a decade, the Manitoba Indigenous Summer Games are returning this July and August.

The value of the games is not mislaid connected Robyn Cruz, large games manager for the Manitoba Aboriginal Sports and Recreation Council.

"It's truly astir making definite those kids consciousness safe, welcome, recognized and seen and ensuring the TRC's calls to enactment are recognized," she said.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls To Action 87-91 are astir Indigenous entree to and engagement successful sports and recreation.

The games volition instrumentality spot successful Norway House Cree Nation, astir 450 kilometres northbound of Winnipeg, from July 9-13 and in and astir Sagkeeng Anicinabe Nation, astir 100 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, Aug. 17-23.

An expected 2,000-4,000 Indigenous athletes under 16 are expected to attend the games. 

Each assemblage volition big a fig of sports, objection sports, and taste events.

Edward "Sonny" Albert, president of the MISG North big corporation, which is moving the archetypal week of the games successful Norway House, said preparations are good underway.

"Right present the absorption is connected the athletes. We've provided agreements with the schools and we're preparing for our athletes village determination arsenic well," helium said.

The games were past held successful 2011, besides with divided hosting duties between Peguis First Nation and Opaskwayak Cree Nation.

1st week

Norway House volition big 8 sports (badminton, 3x3 basketball, formation volleyball, canoeing, soccer, softball, volleyball, and 10K) and 2 objection sports (wrestling and York vessel racing) selected by the big committee to represent the past and civilization of the community.

The York vessel races reflect the past of the portion during the fur commercialized and observe the Treaty & York Boat Days that are held each summertime successful Norway House. The wrestling contention is being held successful honour of 2024 Team Canada Olympian and set member Justina Di Stasio.

The 10K volition beryllium held successful honour of Joe Keeper, a subordinate of the Norway House Cree Nation and subordinate of the 1912 Canadian Olympic squad successful the 5K and 10K events.

"We wanted to marque definite that we benignant of supply that homage to honour our radical successful that sense." Albert said.

2nd week

Week 2 of the games volition beryllium tally by the Northeastern Nations Friends of the Games, made up of Sagkeeng and the communities of Black River, Brokenhead, Hollow Water, Powerview/Pine Falls, Lac Du Bonnet and Manigotagan.

The communities will big archery, athletics, basketball, shot hockey, and play competitions, with lacrosse arsenic a objection sport.

Sagkeeng has a agelong and storied past with the crippled of lacrosse, with a fig of its citizens playing astatine the provincial and nationalist levels, frankincense the big committee chose it arsenic its demonstration sport.

"We're looking guardant to utilizing the games to revitalize the involvement successful the athletics again due to the fact that we had immoderate truly apical notch, apical prime lacrosse players present astatine 1 time," said Sagkeeng Chief E.J. Fontaine.

For the athletics competition, a $600,000 rubberized way is being installed astatine the Sagkeeng Junior High schoolhouse particularly for the games, which Fontaine said is a bequest project for the community.

Fontaine said helium remembers the vibe erstwhile Winnipeg hosted the Pan Am Games successful 1999.

"It was conscionable a truly celebratory feeling and that's what I privation to person successful the community," helium said.

First Nations, Métis and Inuit athletes calved aft Jan. 1, 2009 are eligible to enactment successful this year's Manitoba Indigenous Summer Games. There is besides a telephone out for volunteers, coaches and sponsors.