Lorna Storr is an Elder from Aklavik who took part in the Indigenous Summer Games in Yellowknife from June 30-July 3, as both a participant and an officiant.
She shared her thoughts afterwards on her experience coaching, and some of the deeper meanings behind athleticism, her work, and the future of the Indigenous Summer Games.
Lorna started working as a teacher in the local school and she has been coaching youth here in the North, ever since.
SA国际影视传媒淚 was teaching for a few years in Inuvik, and I started working with students there. I liked to encourage athletic programs or events because I believe itSA国际影视传媒檚 important. It gives them something to look forward to.
SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檝e noticed and ISA国际影视传媒檝e heard comments from parents with children in sports that it keeps them motivated to do better, personally, for the athletes - and to do well in school - besides keeping them in shape, and living a healthier lifestyle. So thatSA国际影视传媒檚 why I like to work with kids, and encourage them and let them know that itSA国际影视传媒檚 important.
SA国际影视传媒淢y first games was in 1986. It came by chance because they were looking for a coach and nobody really had time, so I thought SA国际影视传媒淥K, ISA国际影视传媒檒l do this for a few weeksSA国际影视传媒�, and, well, it went on to be Arctic Winter Games for several years since.
SA国际影视传媒淲e had outdoor events but it was unorganized, which made it so fun. We just went out and played whatever game there was, not realizing that kept us active and busy. People were able to help out a lot more.
SA国际影视传媒淭oday itSA国际影视传媒檚 kind of sad because technology has really taken over personal lifestyles of even youth and children. They are not out as much as they should be, or parents would like them to be. But they are living sedentary lifestyles now, so thatSA国际影视传媒檚 kind of worrying for their health and lifestyle, or the long-term effects of not being so active.
SA国际影视传媒淲e went to residential (school) as children, so our parents were on the land people. They spent their year, you know, they were kind of nomadic, right? Full time fishing and trapping. For Christmas theySA国际影视传媒檇 go up in the mountains to hunt the caribou, and then back to trapping in the spring, and then fish camps in the summertime.
SA国际影视传媒淲e lost a lot of our traditional games because we didnSA国际影视传媒檛 do those in the school, until the Arctic Winter Games started, actually, and they involved Dene games and Northern games, which was quite interesting. Those came out and now we have all our traditional events - because actually, when you think about it, camp life played so much demand on people. Everybody had to be strong and able to work for long periods of time, especially during the winter. They had to have pain endurance, strength, resilience, whatever else to be able to provide for their families. They had to go hunting, and really, when you think of it, our EldersSA国际影视传媒� Elders had very little in the way of guns, or hunting equipment. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 where they do the SA国际影视传媒渟tick pullSA国际影视传媒� or the SA国际影视传媒済reased stick,SA国际影视传媒� when theySA国际影视传媒檇 get to a creek and theySA国际影视传媒檇 see fish swimming and literally reach right in there and grab fish. It was very interesting, I remember my father telling me, and theySA国际影视传媒檇 just enjoy it! Now, you imagine icy cold water and us doing thatSA国际影视传媒�
Like SA国际影视传媒榬eaching into icy watersSA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淎nd then finger pull there was to endure, to persevere, again. Pain endurance. They would carry the fish home. And my dad said it wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 one finger to a fish either. They would get a
willow SA国际影视传媒� and this was from checking nets also SA国际影视传媒� they would string up to ten fish on a willow branch, and each finger would have that.
SA国际影视传媒淵ou look at three fingers, with a willow with like ten fish each, you had to have strength and pain resistance to be able to do that.
SA国际影视传媒淪o, yes, the stick pull resembles reaching into icy waters, most times, to grab fish and to throw them out, you know, on the bank, or snow, to take them home.
SA国际影视传媒淎nd the finger pull was to strengthen your hands or your fingers for that very activity. And also women were stretching hides, mainly the moosehide, because they had to prepare all their
hides for all sewing and their clothing. They had to have strong fingers to stretch that moosehide over that frame to prepare it properly. If it wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 prepared properly it wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 be any good for
using, to, you know, create their clothing and stuff.
SA国际影视传媒淭here really are more stories behind each event, you see, than what ends up on paper. And all of this is to showcase our cultural traditions - to show that we share stories through songs, dances, and games. We need to let people know that we survived. WeSA国际影视传媒檙e here out on the land with these traditional skills.
And, more so, our grandparents. I donSA国际影视传媒檛 know how they did it, you know. You had to hook up the dog team, you had to hold those dogs to take to the harness to put them in, so your fingers had to be strong, your hands had to be strong. You had to be agile, you had to be quick to move. And even to go through those trails with the dog team, you had to be physically fit.
And all this reduced the risk of disease. I mean look at disease today SA国际影视传媒� diabetes and dementia, cancer SA国际影视传媒� especially the rise of diabetes. All these activities, they strengthen our body, our bones, and muscles, and our ability to do all these activities that are out on the land and in our daily lives SA国际影视传媒� chopping wood is one of them!
So all of these things are so exciting, and I am hoping to do more of that with youth here.SA国际影视传媒�
Speaking of her hopes and visions for the future of the Summer Games, she said: SA国际影视传媒淚 think there will be way more participation, more athletes from outlying communities. You know, this was the first Indigenous Summer Games being held, so ISA国际影视传媒檓 not sure if everyone got the information that they needed to really know what all this was about. But now that itSA国际影视传媒檚 off the ground, everybody can see whatSA国际影视传媒檚 involved. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 gonna be huge.SA国际影视传媒�
