Alaskan M(oo)sings: Fairbanks: WEIO (07-12-2023 to 07-15-2023)

This Anchorage Daily News Article does a good job of summarizing the events at this year's WEIO.

BB and I learned about native Alaskan games from visits to the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Demonstrations of native games and dances are given several times each day there throughout the summer. The games really caught our attention. After a demo BB talked to Peter, one of the athletes. He told us that three of the athletes at the Heritage Center (Peter, Matt, Alex) planned to participate in the WEIO games in July. We left knowing we would go to the games.

The 62nd Annual World Eskimo-Indian Olympics (WEIO) is held at the Big Dipper Ice Arena in Fairbanks this year from July 12 to July 15. It doesn't take long for us to learn that WEIO is more than the games. It is also about celebrating culture, showcasing traditional arts and crafts and encouraging support and achievement among the athletes.

The WEIO site has a description of each game. Many of the games mimic a skill needed for hunting/fishing:

The Dena Stick Pull mimics grabbing a fish by the tail. Grease/shortening is applied to a stick that has been tapered from the center to each end. Competitors then grab the stick and at a given signal attempt to pull the stick from the opponent.

The Inuit Stick Pull mimics pulling a seal from a hole in the ice. Opposing athletes sit and face each other with the soles of their feet pressed together and their knees slightly bent. A stick is placed between them above their toes. The athletes position their hands so that one person has the inside grip of the stick, and the other’s hands are on the outside. All hands must be touching. The winner is the person who pulls their opponent over or pulls the stick away from opponent.

The high kick games (Alaskan High Kick, Canadian One Foot High Kick, Traditional One Foot High Kick, Two Foot High Kick) were originally forms of communication:

Traditionally the coastal whaling villages would use these kicks as a form of communication. When a whale or other game has been taken, a messenger would run back toward the village and when within sight distance the messenger would jump and kick both feet into the air, signaling the people of the village that a whale or other game has been caught and to prepare themselves to help the hunters.

The purposes behind other games were to keep up strength (Drop the Bomb, Four Man Carry), to demonstrate tolerance to pain/frostbite (Ear Pull, Ear Weight) or for just plain fun (Maktak Eating - Maktak is a traditional food of the peoples of the Arctic, consisting of whale skin and blubber).

Athletes don't have to qualify at other events/meets/games in order to participate. Athletes may participate in the WEIO games if they are at least 12 years old and

At least 1/16 Alaska Native, Native American, US Pacific Islander, Canadian Indian and/or Eskimo, or of any Indian tribes of the Americas or indigenous to Greenland or Siberia to be eligible to participate. Evidence of your eligibility may be asked of you by proof of any the following:

❖ BIA CDIB/CIB/Tribal Enrollment Card,
❖ Regional/Village Shareholder Identification Card, or
❖ Canadian Indian Status Card
❖ Other _______________________________

Note: 1/16 is a Great Great Grandparent:

WEIO is four activity filled days. Admission to the day activities is free. The day activities start at 10:00 and go to 2:00 or 3:00. BB and I purchase passes that admit us to each evening's activities. Evening activities start at 6:00 and go to 10:00 or 11:00.

We arrive in Fairbanks early afternoon on Wednesday, the first day of activities. We miss Wednesday's day activities but make the evening ones. Wednesday night's highlights are the opening ceremony and remarks and the introduction of the Miss WEIO contestants.

We start to realize the importance and respect Alaskan native culture accords to family and elders. A section of the main floor is marked off as the Elder Section. Snacks and drinks are available and there are tables and chairs. A volunteer stays in the area to assist. Each dignitary and each WEIO contestant introduces themselves twice, once in their native language followed by English. Each introduction includes the person's native and English names and home village, the native and English names and home village of the parents and the native and English names and home village of both sets of grandparents.

Each evening has cultural events as well as games on the schedule. Each night has one if not more dance performances. Dance groups from different villages take turns performing. There are also regalia contests and parades. Regalia contests are by age (baby-6 to 35 months or open-over 35 months) and by style category (Eskimo Cloth, Eskimo Fur, Indian Cloth, Indian Hide).

Many arts and crafts vendors are here. A variety of things to see; beadwork, carvings, apparel. BB gets this pair of earrings made of baleen and ivory.

The three athletes from the Heritage Center are here. They participate in multiple events. We root for them. At one of the afternoon events we see Peter and take the opportunity to say hello and tell him that we are cheering for him, Matt and Alex. One evening we notice a couple sitting near us is cheering for Alex. We tell them we are too and find out they are his parents.

With apologies to Matt, this is the only picture we have of the three Heritage Center athletes together.

Here are Peter in yellow and Alex in blue.

Here is Matt competing in the Alaskan High Kick.

Thursday we meet Ariella Derrickson at the women's Inuit stick pull. The night before Ariella won the fish cutting contest in the Best category. Contestants competing in the Speed category try to be the fastest in removing the head and backbone, while keeping the tail attached, and then fillet the fish and notch it for drying. Contestants in the Best category try to fillet the fish and leave the least amount of fish on the bones. BB takes some great pictures of her as she competes. BB shows her the pictures and shares several of them with her. Ariella becomes another one we watch and root for. We see her later participating in one of the dance performances.

Meet Ariella.

Competing in the Inuit Stick Pull

Ariella tells us about Nick Hanson, AKA The Eskimo Ninja Warrior. He's competed seven times on the American Ninja Warrior Show and is now a ninja coach. He is a long time competitor in the WEIO games and is here this year. We start watching him and begin rooting for him, too.

Ariella's father, Stan Zuray, was one of the cast of Yukon Men. The series details the lives of several inhabitants of the remote Alaskan village of Tanana which is situated by the Yukon River.

Learn more about Ariella in Fairbanks Daily New-Miner 07-14-2023 edition.

We meet the current, 2022, Miss WEIO. She is Michelle Pearl Uyumgaq Kaleak from Utqiagvik.