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SportsRecreationIndigenousGames22TuesdayJuly222014ByDALICARMICHAELForty-eightyouthfromtheNorthwestTerritoriesandNunavutarecurrentlyspreadoutacrossthecountryvolunteeringintheireldofinterestwithNorthernYouthAbroadNYA.Someofthoseyouthaged15to22arestayingwithhostfamiliesinCanadawhileapilotprojecthasseenothersheadtoGuatemalatoworkonHabitatforHumanityhousingprojects.WhathadbeenfoundwaswiththeNorthernyouththatarecompletinghighschoolandgoingontopost-secondarytrainingtherewasahigherthanaverageinstancesofpeo-pleabandoningtheirstudiesjustbecauseitssuchanover-whelmingchangeespeciallyiftheyrecomingdownsouthforcollegeoruniversitysaidNickPelletieraNYAprogramofcerbasedinOttawa.ThehopeisthatbygivingkidsexperienceworkingandtravelingoutsidetheNorththeywillbecomemoreindependentandbetterpreparedtosucceedoncetheyleavetoattendpost-secondaryschoolinghesaid.Throughoutthewin-terstudentscompletedassignmentsgearedtowardspreparingthemforthework-forcefromresumewritingtoaptitudetests.Theywerealsoencouragedtoraisefundsfortheirtravelsbyhostingbakesalesstudentdancesandothereffortsthatalsopositivelyimpactedtheircommunities.Werenotnecessarilylook-ingfortheup-and-comersandtherisingstarsthatareatthetopoftheclassPelletiersaid.Wereallytrytobalanceourgroupssowerelookingforyouthwhohaventhadalotofopportunitiestopartici-pateinprogrammingbeforelikeoursandsoratherthanjustcherrypickingthebestofthebestwerewillingtotakesomechancesonyouth.BeforeheadingtotheirhostcommunitiesyouthwereowndowntoOttawaattheendofJuneforaweekoforientationactivities.Inadditiontoleadershipandteambuildinggamestheyalsocompletedbasicrstaidtrainingwatersafetycerti-cationandworkplacesafetytraining.The36studentsstayinginCanadattinglyewtotheirhostcommunitiesonCanadaDay.TheyarespreadoutfromNovaScotiatoBritishColumbiawheretheywillgettoparticipateincross-culturalexchangeswiththeirhostfamilies.Theother15studentsheadedtoGuatemalare-mainedinOttawaforanad-ditionaltwoweekstraininginconstructiontradesatAl-gonquinCollegebeforehead-ingevenfurthersouth.Weusedtorunaninter-nationalprogramwherewehadyouthgotoBotswanainAfricaforveweeksanddosomekindofdevelopmentre-latedworkthereandwesawthatthereseemedtobeabitofagapinthatthereseemstobeabigdemandforpeoplewithsometradestrainingupNorthPelletiersaid.Itwasdecidedthattoim-proveinthisareastudentswhohadalreadycompletedtheCanadianNYAprogramcouldapplyforaninternationalprogramwheretheywouldgetexposuretotradestraining.TheypartneredwithHabi-tatforHumanitywhopairedNYAwithahousingprojectinTotonicapanGuatemala.TofollowtheNorthernYouthontheirsouthernad-venturescheckouttheirblog-postsatnothernyouthabroad.typepad.comweblogNorthernYouthAbroadsendsstudentssouthwardProgramgivesteensschoolcreditstravelandvolunteeringexperienceNorthernersYouthByDALICARMICHAELAftermonthsofprepara-tionyouthfromacrosstheNorthwestTerritoriescon-vergedandmadetheirwaytoReginaSask.overtheweekendforthe2014NorthAmericanIndigenousGamesNAIGaweek-longtour-namentthatalsocelebratesindigenousculturesinNorthAmerica.Sundaymarkedtheopen-ingofthegameswhereNAIGathletesfromCan-adaandtheUnitedStatesmarchedintoMosaicSta-diumwavingagsfollowedbyperformancesofsonganddance.BeforeheadingoutTeamNWTsU19boysvolleyballteammetinFortSmithforaweek-longtrainingcampattherecreationcentrerunningdrillsandlearningstrategiesfrommorningtonight.Ifeelwewillbereadyafterwenishallourprac-ticesessionsinSmithWeluckilygotsomepracticesinNAIGwhileweretheresowellhavesomefreetimeaswellsaidplayerRyanEvans16anoffensivehitter.TheguysaregellingwellasateamsaidcoachBrandonThompsonanac-complishedvolleyballplayerhimself.Thefullteamplayedto-getherforthersttimethisweekwithplayersyinginfromFortGoodHopeandYellowknifeforthetrainingsession.Weregoingdowntherenotexpectingtowinoranythingbutwellputupaghtagainstothercontin-gentsThompsonsaid.Ithinkwhatwerelook-ingthemostforwardtoistohavefunhopeeverythinggoesgoodandwellworkourhardestsaidJeremyBeamish18asetterfortheteam.ThoughtheirscheduleisrigorousNAIGplayersareencouragedtocheerontheirteammembersfromotherregions.WellactuallygosupportotherteamsasagroupwellgoseebasketballwhateverelseishappeningandjustsupportthemThompsonsaid.ItsnotjustusasateambondingbuttheactualentireNorthasTeamNWTtheseguyswillmakefriendsfromacrosstheNorthandgrowupwiththeminthecomingdays.ItsmultisportgamesbutNAIGisalotdifferentthanArcticWinterGamesitsalotdifferentthanCanadagamessaidGregHopfexecutivedirectorofAb-originalSportCircletheor-ganizationthatcoordinatedTeamNWT.Thepartthatissouniqueisthateverysingleoneoftheseathletestheysharethesameculture...Theyreallindigenouseverysingleoneoftheseathletes.APTNwillbecoveringNAIGallthisweekoryoucanwatchonlinecoveragebyAccess7athttpwww2.myaccess.canaig.TostayuptodateonTeamNWTsprogressthrough-outNAIGfollowAborig-inalSportCircleNWTonFacebookandTwitterortuneintoCKLBthroughoutthetournamentforanightlyradioshowwithathletein-terviewsanddailystandings.ForprolesonmoreNWTathletesheadtowww.as-cnwt.caProgramsEventsNorthAmericanIndigenousGames2014Regina.aspxTeamNWTheadstoReginaforindigenousgamesPhotoDaliCarmichaelTeamNWTplayerscoachesandsupportersfromFortSmithheadtoReginafortheNorthAmericanIndigenousGames.NorthernYouthAbroadparticipantsfromtheNorthwestTerritoriesandNunavutattendanorientationweekcampinOttawabeforeheadingofftotheirhostcommunitiesinCanadaandGuatemala.PhotocourtesyofNorthernYouthAbroad