The World Eskimo-Indian Olympics

When most people hear the word Olympics, the first thing that comes to mind is the sporting competitions that house worldwide athletes every four years. But for the Intuit people of Alaska, the word Olympics represents something more. For generations the Intuit people have been participating in what they call, The World Eskimo-Indian Olympics. Their Olympic games consist of activities that challenge the mental and physical abilities specific to the Eskimo lifestyle. Although now these games are held for mostly fun and entertainment, they were originally created by their ancestors in order to protect their people from the unforgiving weather conditions of Alaska. Most of these games were specially designed to be done in small enclosed areas …show more content…
To start off, these activities create physical and mental challenges that a traditional sport would not present. For an example, the Inuit people have a game called the toe walk. The objective of this game is for the person to walk as far as they can with their toes curled under. This activity was created to keep blood circulation through the toes in order to prevent frost bite. At first, this may not seem like physical activity but when you think about it, the human feet were not designed to bare weight solely on the toes let along the knuckles of the toes. Along with physical challenges, the toe walk also presents mental challenges. Due to the pain and discomfort this activity creates, it signals the brain to stop the action immediately but the individual has to fight the mental impulse in order to finish the …show more content…
Their fan base may not be as large as the NFL fan base but it is a decent amount. People from all around these areas come out to support their teams during the Olympics. Without their ancestors, these games would not exist today. Through training, coaching, and teaching, these individuals are able to continue the traditions of their culture by competing in these games. According to Suits, to be considered a sport, there needs to be some kind of history. In the case of the Inuit people, that is not a qualification they lack. The most important thing to the Inuit people is tradition, the continue these games in order to keep their history alive. They participate in these events because it defines their heritage. An individual who was featured in the video made it clear that his goal as an Olympic athlete was to not let the traditions of his ancestors die. Unlike American sports, these games are not played for money, they are played for enjoyment. Since the northern games have all of the things listed by Bernard Suits, it can be considered a sport.
Another activity that causes great debate amongst athletes is whether or not cheerleading is a sport. When analyzing the entirety of cheerleading, it is very difficult to not consider it a sport. Who is to say that cheerleaders do not work as hard as football players or softball player?