World
Eskimo-Indian Olympics
Summer visitors and local residents get a chance to see the oldest
gathering of this size every July in Fairbanks, AK. There, one will see
traditional native games, Eskimo and Indian singing and dancing, and be
able to buy authentic fine arts and crafts handcrafted by indigenous
people of North America. The four-day event is held annually in
Fairbanks, beginning on the third Wednesday of July, running through
Saturday. WEIO is a place where indigenous people from across Alaska,
the Pacific Northwest, Canada, and Greenland gather together to compete
in traditional athletic competitions and sell their arts & crafts. Just
a few of the events are: the Ear Pull, Knuckle Hop, One-Foot High Kick,
Two-Foot High Kick, and Alaskan High Kick, and the Nalukataq (Blanket
Toss.) It isn’t uncommon at the event to see age and wisdom defeat youth
and strength.
During the opening ceremony, you’ll see the Race of the Torch male
and female winners jog in to light the stone lamp filled with dried moss
and seal oil, tended by our honored elders. There will be athletes
warming up to competing in games that their ancestors competed in.
You’ll find laughter circling around as old friends greet each other and
new ones form. And you will always see true sportsmanship between
competitors. Where they compete against one another while offering
suggestions and tips that fuel oneself to meet new personal bests and
possibly set new world records.
There is a “competition” of sorts of several young women, aged 18-24,
who compete for the coveted Miss WEIO crown in the Miss World
Eskimo-Indian Olympic Cultural Pageant. You can find them throughout the
event evenings and the Fairbanks community during the day, introducing
their self and sharing their culture with everyone around them. They
have a Talent competition Wednesday evening, an Impromptu Speech and
Personal Interview Thursday, and the coronation for the new Miss WEIO on
Friday evening. Their annual duties include presenting medals to the
athletic winners Saturday and the next annual event, until the new Miss
WEIO is crowned. They are also available to speak at several public
events throughout Alaska, upon request. They also go on to run for the
title of Miss Indian World during the springtime outside the state.
There are events scheduled beginning 10am Wednesday and run through
Saturday evening. Each daytime portion is free to the public. There is a
charge for evening events (box office opens at 5 pm) where you will find
singing and dancing, the Blanket Toss, Fishing Cutting and Seal Skinning
competitions and see beautiful ivory jewelry and beaded pieces to wear.
WEIO is at the Carlson Center and begins the third Wednesday of every
July. For more information, call (907) 452-6646. If you cannot make it
in July, you can find traditional Native shirts called kuspuks and
authentic Alaskan Native arts & crafts at their downtown location, 400
Cushman St. Ste. A.
The event usually includes a native "potlatch", sort of a pot luck
supper with traditional native foods, perhaps including Eskimo
Ice Cream.
Miss WEIO 2005,
Gussie Ivanoff
(Miss Arctic Native Brotherhood,
from Unalakleet)
History
We discovered so much information on the history of the World
Eskimo-Indian Olympics that we had to make a separate page on the history
of the event.
WARNING: This is a major event in Fairbanks, occurring in the same time period as Golden Days, and rooms are at
a premium, so early reservations are a must.
Cost (last updated 2014)
Daily Admission:
Note: The charges are for evening sessions - there is no charge for
the daytime events. See more information at this site (see link in next
paragraph).
Events (from their list)
2014 Games
Wednesday, July 16, 2014 -- Daytime events: FREE ADMISSION..
2-5pm Arts & Crafts
10:00 am ATHLETE REGISTRATION
11:00 am SCISSOR BROAD JUMP – Finals
12:00 pm FOUR-MAN CARRY – Qualifier
1:00 pm KNEEL JUMP – Finals
2:00 pm ONE HAND REACH – Preliminaries
3:30 pm RACE OF THE TORCH
Evening - Adults $12, Elders, Military & Students $10.
6-10pm Arts & Crafts
6:00 pm OPENING CEREMONY
Native Veterans Color Guard
National Anthem
Alaska Flag Song – Group: Arctic Foxes
WELCOME
Marching of the Dance Contestants & Athletes, Miss WEIO Queens and
Contestants
Permission to host games on Athabascan Lands
Invocation
Proclamations:
Welcome Address (Recommendation?)
Recognition of Dignitaries
Lighting of the Seal Oil Lamps – Recognition of Lamp Tenders
RACE OF THE TORCH, KNEEL JUMP, SCISSOR BROAD JUMP Demonstrations/Medals
Ceremony
Dance Performance
BLANKET TOSS – WOMEN’S Preliminaries
7:30 pm........Miss WEIO Cultural Pageant –Intro & Talent Show – Pioneer
Room
Dance Performance
ONE HAND REACH – Finals/Medals Ceremony
Dance Performance
FISH CUTTING CONTEST – Finals/Medals Ceremony (depending on availability
of fish)
FOUR MAN CARRY - Finals/Medals Ceremony
Thursday, July 17, 2014 -- Daytime events: FREE ADMISSION.
2-5pm Arts & Crafts
9:30 am ATHLETE REGISTRATION
10:00 am ESKIMO STICK PULL – Finals
12:00 pm ALASKAN HIGH KICK – Preliminaries
1:00 pm NATIVE BABY CONTEST (Skin, Fur & Cloth) – Pioneer Room
1:30 pm GREASED POLE WALK– Finals/Medals Ceremony – Outdoors conditions
permitting.
Evening - Adults $12, Elders, Military & Students $10..
6-10pm Arts & Crafts
6:00 pm NATIVE BABY CONTEST – Parade & Awards
Dance Performance
ESKIMO STICK PULL - Demonstrations/Medals Ceremony
ALASKAN HIGH KICK – Finals/ Medals Ceremony
Dance Performance
BLANKET TOSS - MEN’S Preliminaries
7:30 pm........Miss WEIO Cultural Pageant – Impromptu Speeches – Pioneer
Room
Dance Performance
MUKTUK EATING CONTEST - Finals/Medals Ceremony.
Friday, July 18, 2014 -- Daytime events: FREE ADMISSION...
2-5pm Arts & Crafts
9:30 am ATHLETE REGISTRATION
10:00 am INDIAN STICK PULL – Finals
11:00 am DROP THE BOMB - Qualifier
12:00 pm TWO FOOT HIGH KICK – Preliminaries
1:00 pm NATIVE REGALIA CONTEST (Skin, Fur & Cloth) in Pioneer Room
1:00 pm EAR PULL – Finals
Fish Cutting Demonstration – (dependent on availability and weather
permitting)
Evening - Adults $12, Elders, Military & Students $10.
6-10pm Arts & Crafts
6:00 pm Dance Performance –
INDIAN STICK PULL & EAR PULL – Demonstrations/Medals Ceremony
TWO FOOT HIGH KICK – Finals/Medals Ceremony
NATIVE REGALIA CONTEST – Parade & Awards
BLANKET TOSS - WOMEN’S Finals/Medals Ceremony
Miss WEIO Cultural Pageant – Coronation of 2014 Miss WEIO
Dance Performance
SEAL SKINNING CONTEST – (dependent on availability)
Dance Performance
DROP THE BOMB – Finals/Medals Ceremony
Saturday, July 19, 2014 -- Daytime events: FREE ADMISSION
2-5pm Arts & Crafts
9:30 am ATHLETE REGISTRATION
10:00 am BENCH REACH – Finals
11:00 am ONE FOOT HIGH KICK (Alaskan Style) – Preliminaries
1:00 pm HEAD PULL-Finals
2:30 pm EAR WEIGHT – Qualifier
3:00 pm WEIO General Membership Meeting: Membership Comments & Board
Elections – Pioneer Room
Evening - Adults $12, Elders, Military & Students $10...
6-10pm Arts & Crafts
6:00 pm Athletes/Dancers Enter as One Group
BENCH REACH & HEAD PULL – Demonstrations/Medals Ceremony
Dance Performance
ONE FOOT HIGH KICK (Alaskan Style) – Finals/Medals Ceremony
DANCE GROUP COMMAND PERFORMANCE
BLANKET TOSS – MEN’S Finals/Medals Ceremony
EAR WEIGHT – Finals/Medals Ceremony
Dance Performance
KNUCKLE HOP - Finals/Medals Ceremony
CLOSING OF GAMES
