| Abbreviation | WEIO |
|---|---|
| First event | 1961 |
| Occur every | Year |
| Last event | 2023 |
| Next event | 2024 |
| Purpose | Multi-sport event forInuit,Iñupiat,Yupik, and otherNative American athletes |
| Headquarters | Fairbanks, Alaska |
| Website | www |
TheWorld Eskimo-Indian Olympics (abbreviated:WEIO, formerly theWorld Eskimo Olympics) is an American annual nationalmulti-sport event held over a four-day period beginning the third Wednesday of each July, designed to preservecultural practices and traditional (survival)skills essential to life incircumpolar areas of the world. These games are only betweenNative Americans in the United States and allow no participants from other nations.
The WEIO features games or sports rooted inancestralhunting andsurvival techniques employed by theInuit,Iñupiat,Yupik, and otherNative Americans in USA, as well as dance,storytelling competitions, and an annual cultural pageant, called Miss WEIO, that focuses oncultural knowledge.
WEIO began in 1961 as theWorld Eskimo Olympics and was initially held on the banks of theChena River in downtownFairbanks, Alaska,[1] in conjunction with theGolden Days celebration festivities. The event was sponsored by the City of Fairbanks, through the city's Chamber of Commerce.[2]
City in first games:
In 1970, sponsorship of the event was transferred to the statewide newspaperTundra Times and several revisions were made. This includes the name change – which inserted "Indian" to better reflect the ethnicity of the participants – and the introduction of events for women. The first decade of the events featured male-only participants; eventually, the number of events with women competing increased.[3] Women now participate in some of the more arduous events, includingear pulls andhigh kicks.
Six years later, WEIO reorganized as a501(c)non-profit organization, which took over sponsorship from the newspaper, and has been responsible for plans, preparations, and stagings related to the event.
After four and a half decades in Fairbanks, the games were relocated toAnchorage, Alaska in 2007 following a successful bid to host the event.[4] WEIOboard members were concerned that Fairbanks officials were becoming complacent,[5] and elected to examine other venues.
The organization's general assembly voted to have the games held at the new location earlier that spring.[6]
The event in Anchorage proved to be too costly and the games have not returned since. Fairbanks is recognized as WEIO's permanent home.
In 2018, WEIO introduced a new logo designed by Yup'ik artist Aassanaaq Ossie Kairaiuak, who is better known as a member of the bandPamyua. The new design was chosen because it better exemplifies the cultural roots of the organization. It is now included on WEIO's website, weio.org and Facebook page.
The 2020 WEIO event was canceled due theCOVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 (60th Anniversary) WEIO Games were scheduled for July 21–24, 2021 at theBig Dipper Ice Arena in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the opening ceremonies featuring PBS Kids character Molly of Denali.[7][8]
Source:[9]
2023:[12]
2022:[13]
2021:[14]
2019:[15]
2018:[16]
2017:[17]
Native Games World Records:[18][19]
Events played at the WEIO are either traditional or everyday tasks unique to Eskimo or northern native culture:[20]
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