Elementary-age athletes from across Juneau participated in the Native Youth Olympics Junior Celebration, competing in traditional games rooted in Indigenous hunting and survival traditions. The event fostered community, promoted physical fitness, and celebrated Alaska's Indigenous heritage.
Harborview Elementary student Chloe Kinville-James participates in the Inuit stick pull at the Native Youth Olympics Junior Celebration at Dzántik’i Héeni Middle School gym on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025.
Lott is Lingít and Yupik, and a fifth grader at Harborview Elementary. She got involved with the games three years ago after walking past the club while waiting for her mom to pick her up from school.“I wake up early the day of the competition — this is the only time when my parents tell me to go to sleep I will,” she said.
Just like the students, she too was a young athlete who practiced the games growing up in Alaska. She said the games are more than just about testing your physical fitness — it’s about connecting with your community and celebrating Alaska’s Indigenous traditions.
NATIVE YOUTH OLYMPICS TRADITIONAL GAMES ALASKA INUIT CULTURE COMMUNITY
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