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The 2018 Dene Games Summit opening ceremonies kicked off two days of traditional games in Inuvik Sunday, Feb. 11.

The opening ceremonies featured talks from community leaders, drum dancing, game demonstrations, and more.

Student athletes from Aklavik, Fort McPherson, Paulatuk, Tsiigehtchic, Tuktoyaktuk, Ulukhaktok, and Newmarket, Ont., joined community members and East Three school officials for the ceremony in the East Three Elementary gymnasium to kick off the sixth annual summit.

Donald Kuptana, a summit official, said he鈥檚 been working with the youth for the last five years at the games and has seen them develop their skills and confidence over the years.

鈥淭hese games are probably one of the best tools that we have for developing our youth, helping them make healthier choices in life, and it鈥檚 so good to see,鈥� Kuptana said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just so proud of our youth. I鈥檝e seen them grow up and develop their skills and come out of their shells of being shy.鈥�

Approximately 200 youth will participate in the games, followed by a closing ceremony on Wednesday morning.

鈥淥ver the next few days, we鈥檙e going to have our youth from all these communities try the games out,鈥� Kuptana said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so much fun to watch them do their best. We love to showcase our games, and demonstrate a little bit of our culture.鈥�

Along with a sense of cultural pride, Kuptana said the games carry on important traditions from the past.

鈥淲hen we were younger, we played the games outside all the time. These guys, they don鈥檛 go out hunting every weekend, it鈥檚 just not that way anymore,鈥� Kuptana said. 鈥淏ut, with these games, we鈥檙e bridging our way of life, on the land, to these youth through our games.鈥�

He added that some of the youth are surprised to learn that their parents played these games too.

鈥淭hese games are from their ancestry,鈥� Kuptana said. 鈥淲henever I talk with some of these youth and about how their parents played these games too, they鈥檙e just happy. They didn鈥檛 know their parents played these games, too.鈥�

Kuptana said the games are important to connect youth to elders in the community.

鈥淭he best thing about our games is the interaction we have with our elders. Youth go up and talk to the elders, even just to tell the story about who they are,鈥� Kuptana said. 鈥淲henever I see a kid getting a chair for an elder, that makes me so happy.鈥�

Kuptana credits the teachers at all of the community schools, as well as volunteers, for making the summit a reality.

鈥淚鈥檇 just like to thank all of the volunteers who make this event possible,鈥� Kuptana said. 鈥淲hen we started this six years ago, we didn鈥檛 know it was going to be this strong. We wanted it to be, of course, but all the volunteers in the smaller communities make it possible for the youth to play these games.鈥�

Kuptana stressed the benefits of the games for youth in the communities.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important to make new friends, get out of your silo, getting out to interact at a gathering where you have different kids from different communities,鈥� Kuptana said. 鈥淎nybody can play these games, doesn鈥檛 matter if you鈥檙e aboriginal or not.鈥�