2027 North American Indigenous Games to be held in Calgary
Calgary has been selected to host the 2027 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) which is a great honor for Tourism Calgary.
“We are honored,” CEO Cindy Aidy said in a press release Friday.
“The Games will inspire thousands of Indigenous youth through sport and will be a great opportunity to celebrate and strengthen our understanding of Indigenous culture and heritage while bringing meaningful economic activity to our region.”
NAIG is the largest multisport and cultural event for Indigenous youth in North America.
The event takes place every four years and actually began more than 30 years ago in Alberta.
The bid to host the Indigenous Games was prepared by Tourism Calgary in conjunction with the Tsuut’ina Nation, with input and participation from local Indigenous Nations and the City of Calgary.
Tsuut’ina Nation chief Roy Whitney says they are “absolutely thrilled” that Calgary has been chosen to host the event in 2027.
“We look forward to hosting Indigenous athletes and families on our beautiful land at the foot of the Rocky Mountains,” he said.
“We are confident that visitors will have an unforgettable experience with top-level competitions and cultural activities during the games.”
Audrey Poitras, President of the Métis Nation of Alberta, says the organization is excited that Calgary will host the event.
“It will be a remarkable time for the province, the city of Calgary and our Indigenous nations to come together to compete and show what we have to offer and what we can do,” she said.
According to Tourism Calgary, the Indigenous Games will bring more than 5,000 people from over 756 nations across North America to Calgary to compete in 16 different sporting events.
“It is a great honor to have the opportunity to welcome Indigenous athletes, coaches, families and fans to these games in Calgary,” said Mayor Jyoti Gondek.
“We are committed to an inclusive, weeklong celebration of sports and culture that will have a lasting impact on Indigenous athletes and Calgarians.”
The decision to award the Games to Calgary was announced during the closing ceremony of this year’s Halifax Games.
The Indigenous Sports Council Alberta (ISCA), which selected Calgary as an Alberta candidate late last year, cited the strong support of the city of Calgary and surrounding nations as a key factor in Calgary’s success.
“We are pleased that Calgary’s bid is successful,” said Alberta’s Secretary of Tourism and Sports, Joseph Schow.
“Alberta has a long tradition of hosting world-class sporting events and we look forward to sharing the best the province has to offer with athletes and teams from across North America in 2027.”