The North American Indigenous Games is a multi-sport event and cultural celebration involving Indigenous athletes from across North America staged intermittently since 1990.
The dream to hold a “Games for the Indigenous Peoples” of North America began in the 1970s. The first edition of the Games was held in Edmonton, Alberta in 1990.
The NAIG Council was formed between 1992 and 1993, a 26-member council of representatives from 13 provinces and territories in Canada and 13 regions in the United States.
The vision was to improve the quality of life for Indigenous Peoples by supporting self-determined sports and cultural activities which encourage equal access to participation in the social / cultural / spiritual fabric of the community in which they reside and which respects Indigenous distinctiveness.
1990
First NAIG, 3,000 participants in 15 sports
1993
4,400 participants in 15 sports
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada
1995
8,500 participants in 17 sports
Blaine, Minnesota, United States
1997
5,000 participants in 16 sports
2002
6,500 participants in 16 sports
2006
10,000 participants in 16 sports
Denver, Colorado, United States
2008
4,700 participants in 14 sports
Cowichan, British Columbia, Canada
2011
2011 NAIG were cancelled. “inaugural U.S. Indigenous Games” hosted
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
2014
5,000 participants in 15 sports
2017
4800 participants in 15 sports
2020
The games will be held on July 12–18, 2020.[1]
Following 2020, NAIG will be hosted every four years, with the youth event hosted in Canada. NAIG can be bid on by interested ‘host candidate cities’ through a comprehensive and lengthy bid process. The NAIG Council Bid Committee is responsible updating, initiating, monitoring and evaluating the bid procedures.
NAIG 2020 in Halifax will be the largest multi-sport event ever hosted in Atlantic Canada.