Mac Olsen
Spotlight
It was Nuuk, Greenland’s moment to welcome the world, for the Arctic Winter Games, but for Noah White, it was one of the best adventures of his life to participate in the Traditional Dene Games at that international event.
“It was a unique experience,” says White, a Grade 11 student at Georges P. Vanier in Donnelly. “You meet a lot of people from different backgrounds.”
The Arctic Winter Games were held in Nuuk, Greenland during March 6-11, and Alberta North, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik Quebec and the Yukon sent competitors. The other teams came from Alaska, Greenland, Sapmi and Yamal.
Besides White, Kennedy Turcotte of GPV and former student Kassidy Turcotte were also on the Alberta North team, and as were some students from Ecole Heritage in Falher. Check the Smoky River Express’ website at https://smokyriverexpress.com for the stories about the other GPV students and the Ecole Heritage students.
The Traditional Dene Games consist of a finger pull, stick pull, pole-push, hand games and the snow snake. White qualified for the games in Slave Lake in November 2015, placing fourth overall. The Alberta North team held a training camp in Grande Prairie during the weekend of Jan. 30-31, which got him ready for the international event.
At the Arctic Winter Games, White placed fourth overall in the finger pull and received the Fair Play Award from the AWG committee. And like the other members of the Alberta North team, he received a team jacket.
White says the Arctic Winter Games were an amazing experience and he wants to go again in 2018, if given the chance. He also encourages other students to try for it.
For more information about the Arctic Winter Games, please go to www.awg2016.org.
