The Native Youth Olympics

Summary

Forever Ago® Podcast Summary: "The Native Youth Olympics"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Forever Ago®
• Host/Author: American Public Media
• Description: Brains On presents Forever Ago®, a history show for the whole family! Every episode explores the surprising and fascinating history of ordinary things, transforming learning about the past into a fun and critical-thinking experience.
• Episode: The Native Youth Olympics
• Release Date: April 23, 2025

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Introduction to the Native Youth Olympics

In the episode titled "The Native Youth Olympics," hosts Joy Dolo and Ali delve into an annual sporting event that celebrates traditional Alaska Native skills. The Native Youth Olympics (NYO) is a unique competition where hundreds of students from across Alaska come together to engage in games that honor the cultural heritage and survival skills of Alaska Native communities.

Joy Dolo introduces the topic enthusiastically:
"So today we're talking about a special sporting event that happens every year in Alaska." [02:42]

Ali adds context by explaining the inclusive nature of the games:
"Any student can compete in the Native Youth Olympics. Native or non native." [03:10]

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Historical Context and Origins

The Native Youth Olympics has its roots in traditional Alaska Native practices, designed to test and enhance skills essential for survival in Alaska's harsh climate. These games not only focus on physical prowess but also emphasize mental strength and community support.

Joy provides historical background:
"Before Western or Eastern society moved into Alaska or just into the north. You had to survive off of the land..." [21:20]

Nicole Johnson, the head official and instructor at NYO, elaborates on the traditional aspects:
"These are games that have been around for hundreds and hundreds of years." [21:01]

---

Evolution of the Games

Initially, Alaska Native children faced significant challenges in maintaining their cultural practices due to enforced assimilation policies. In the early 1900s, many Native students were sent to boarding schools across the United States, cutting them off from their heritage. It wasn't until the 1960s that a new approach was adopted, where students from remote villages were sent to larger cities within Alaska to attend high school while living with host families.

Joy Dolo narrates this shift:
"Fast forward mid-1960s, officials in Alaska were still trying to figure out how to educate Native students in remote villages. And they decided to try something new." [10:08]

However, living with predominantly white families posed its own set of challenges, leading to a cultural disconnect for many Native students. This separation sparked the desire among Native youth to reconnect with their traditions, culminating in the creation of the Native Youth Olympics.

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The Birth of the Native Youth Olympics

The NYO was officially founded in 1971, inspired by a group of Alaska Native students who wanted to celebrate their cultural heritage through traditional games. The first event saw dozens of students from 12 schools congregate in a gymnasium in Anchorage, marking the beginning of what would become a cherished annual tradition.

Ali recounts the inception:
"The first official Native Youth Olympics. The year was 1971." [20:32]

This initiative provided a platform for Native youth to engage in traditional sports, fostering a sense of community and cultural pride that had been eroded by previous assimilation efforts.

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Traditional Games and Their Significance

The Native Youth Olympics features a variety of games, each rooted in traditional practices that have been passed down through generations. These games are not only athletic competitions but also a means to preserve and teach essential survival skills.

Inuit Stickpole
A popular game where two participants sit facing each other with their feet pressed together, holding their hips and feet in place. A stick is placed between them, and the objective is to pull the stick away from the opponent, simulating the strength required to pull seals from icy waters.

Ali explains:
"This game builds the same strength that native hunters use to pull seals out of the water and onto the ice." [22:38]

One Foot High Kick
A game where participants jump and kick a ball hanging from a string with one foot, aiming to achieve the highest kick while landing on the same foot used to kick. This sport initially served as a communication method among hunters, signaling a successful hunt across vast tundras.

Ali shares his personal experience:
"It's more of a way of to show how you compete. And it's not really that you're competing against other players. You're competing against yourself." [25:26]

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Cultural Impact and Community Building

The Native Youth Olympics go beyond mere competition; they are a celebration of Alaska Native culture and a tool for community building. The games encourage teamwork, sportsmanship, and mutual support among participants, fostering a strong sense of belonging and cultural identity.

Nicole Johnson emphasizes:
"Today, when we play these games, we pass on that sense of community and encouragement to one another." [24:48]

Ali reflects on the supportive nature of the NYO:
"It's more open of mistakes, unlike from, like hockey, when they get so mad... you're rooting for everyone." [25:26]

This inclusive environment contrasts sharply with more competitive sports, highlighting the unique ethos of the Native Youth Olympics where personal growth and communal support take precedence over rivalries.

---

Personal Stories and Experiences

Throughout the episode, Ali shares his own journey with the Native Youth Olympics, highlighting memorable moments and the personal growth he experienced through participation.

Ali recounts a significant achievement:
"It was me and the other kid and we were kicking for first place. And then the moment when I hit it, I felt so happy. Cause I got first. We tied for first." [05:58]

He also discusses the techniques involved in events like the One Foot High Kick, demonstrating the blend of traditional practices and modern athletic training.

Joy Dolo expresses admiration:
"That's really impressive though. I bet you they're really proud of you, huh?" [07:07]

---

Modern-Day Relevance and Growth

Since its inception, the Native Youth Olympics has grown exponentially, now involving over 500 students annually. The games have been integrated into school curriculums across Alaska, ensuring that traditional sports remain a vital part of Alaska Native education and community life.

Joy Dolo notes the expansion:
"Since the first Native Youth Olympics in 1971, the Games have grown bigger and bigger, drawing more and more people every year." [24:21]

The NYO continues to evolve, incorporating new games and expanding its reach, all while maintaining the core values of cultural preservation and community support.

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Conclusion and Reflection

The episode concludes by reiterating the importance of the Native Youth Olympics in preserving Alaska Native traditions and fostering a strong, supportive community among youth. Hosts Joy and Ali encourage listeners to learn more about the NYO and celebrate similar cultural practices in their own communities.

Joy Dolo wraps up:
"The Native Youth Olympics continue to grow in popularity, and community and sportsmanship remain at the center of the Games." [27:35]

Listeners are invited to explore additional resources and engage with the NYO through provided show notes, further emphasizing the podcast's mission to make history both engaging and educational.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Joy Dolo:
  "Did you know in ancient Egypt, they played a game like hockey with sticks made out of palm tree branches?" [01:07]
  "These are games that have been around for hundreds and hundreds of years." [21:01]
  "It's more open of mistakes, unlike from, like hockey, when they get so mad..." [25:26]

• Ali:
  "We should do a whole episode about the Native Youth Olympics." [02:00]
  "It was me and the other kid and we were kicking for first place..." [05:58]
  "Games like the Inuit stick, pole and one foot high kick have been passed down from generation to generation." [24:16]

• Nicole Johnson:
  "Before Western or Eastern society moved into Alaska or just into the north... so they created games to test the strengths of our people physically and mentally." [21:26]
  "Today, when we play these games, we pass on that sense of community and encouragement to one another." [24:48]

---

Credits

Written by: Ruby Guthrie and Shayla Farzon
Produced and Fact-Checked by: Nico Gonzalez Whistler
Edited by: Sandon Totten
Engineering and Sound Design: Alex Simpson, Derek Hawkis, Rachel Breese
Original Theme Music: Mark Sanchez
Additional Production: Brains on Universe Team
Executive Producer: Beth Pearlman
Executives in Charge of APM Studios: Chandra Kavadi and Joanne Griffith
Special Thanks to: Dr. Maria Williams, Kyle Wuerl, Nicole Johnson, Lauren and Philip Blanchett

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Note: For listeners interested in exploring more about the Native Youth Olympics or watching event videos, links are available in the show notes. Additionally, the episode concludes with a fun trivia segment revealing the chronological order of popular children's books, engaging the audience in interactive learning.

Transcript

[Joy Dolo]

Very interesting. Oh, gotta highlight that too. Oh, and can't forget that.

[Ali]

Joy, are you in here?

[Joy Dolo]

Hmm. If everything on the page is highlighted, is that the same as nothing being highlighted? But it's all so interesting.

[Ali]

Joy. Ah, there you are. Oh, Hailey, what's up with all these books? They're almost stacked to the ceiling.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, these? Just my latest library haul. You wouldn't believe how many books you can check out these days.

[Ali]

It appears the limit does not exist.

[Joy Dolo]

Actually, it's 50 per library, so obviously I went to a lot of libraries, all in the name of research.

[Ali]

What are you researching?

[Joy Dolo]

Well, you see, ever since I started going to hot yoga, I've really been in my Sporty Spice era.

[Ali]

Sporty Spice?

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah, ask your parents. Anywho, I'm really interested in different sports throughout history. You know what they say, the pipeline from hot yoga to knee deep historical sports research is real.

[Ali]

Did people say that?

[Joy Dolo]

I'm people. So yes. And I've been learning so much cool stuff. Let me find the right page. Here it is. Did you know in ancient Egypt, they played a game like hockey with sticks made out of palm tree branches?

[Ali]

That is so cool.

[Joy Dolo]

Or like how people in India have been playing this tag like game called Coco for hundreds of years. It even has its own league today.

[Ali]

That sounds so fun.

[Joy Dolo]

I know. And in Alaska. Aha. There's this event called the Native Youth Olympics.

[Ali]

Joy, I know all about the Native Youth Olympics. I've even competed.

[Unnamed Participant]

What?

[Joy Dolo]

That's awesome. You're sporty. And a firsthand primary source. My sporting and history research dreams are coming true all at once. You know what that means?

[Ali]

We should do a whole episode about the Native Youth Olympics.

[Joy Dolo]

Yes. Let's do it. Welcome to Forever Ago from APM Studios. I'm Joy Dolo, and I'm here today with Ali from Anchorage, Alaska.

[Ali]

Hi, Joy.

[Joy Dolo]

Forever Ago is a nonprofit public radio program, which means we rely on support from our listeners to keep the show going. There are lots of ways you can support the show.

[Ali]

You can donate, become a SmartyPast subscriber, or buy our merch.

[Joy Dolo]

Head to Foreverago.org to show your support.

[Ali]

Thank you.

[Joy Dolo]

So today we're talking about a special sporting event that happens every year in Alaska.

[Ali]

It's called the Native Youth Olympics.

[Joy Dolo]

Hundreds of students from across the state come together to compete in different games that honor traditional skills from Alaska Native culture. Alaska Natives are a group of people whose ancestors have lived in the area we now call Alaska for thousands of years.

[Ali]

The games they play test your balance, strength, and focus all Skills that were.

[Joy Dolo]

Necessary for hunting and surviving in Alaska's extreme climate.

[Ali]

Any student can compete in the Native Youth Olympics. Native or non native.

[Joy Dolo]

The Native Youth Olympics are for students from seventh to 12th grade, and there's an open version for people older than 18 years old.

[Ali]

There's also a junior version for younger students.

[Joy Dolo]

Right. Ali, you've competed in the Junior Native Youth Olympics. What was your experience like? Tell us about it.

[Ali]

Well, my experience is very, very, like, wholesome because there's a lot of people who are, like, better and help to try to, like, make you feel like you're at your top level and making you feel really good, even if you make mistakes.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, that's nice. So when did you start?

[Ali]

Well, there's a story where I started to, like, do something called toe knuckle walk. You take off your socks and you like, kind of curl your toes and put the bone when you're curling it, like the knuckle onto the ground on both feet and you just start walking. And that was used so when hunters were doing that so they could unnumb their toes or keep their toes not numb from the coldness. Oh, and it's just a memory of me. And that's probably how long I've started.

[Joy Dolo]

Okay. I think I could actually use that in Minnesota because it gets pretty cold here.

[Ali]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

I know that the Games are based on actual things that Alaska Native people would do to survive. Is there a certain part of the sport where you're like, oh, I can see how this would have been used in another time?

[Ali]

Yeah. Like, there's a Sport called the four man carry. It's when you carry four men, each weighing 150 pounds, and you can walk the farthest distance trying to simulate you're having four seals on you and you're trying to go the farthest until you collapse.

[Joy Dolo]

So that's like £600.

[Ali]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

That's hard. That's hard. What do people like after you do an event? Do you win anything? Is there a prize?

[Ali]

Yeah. So it depends where you are. So there's something called Arctic Winter Games, which is one of the categories that's Arctic Sports in which all the NYO Games and if you win, you get a traditional native knife, which isn't like real or anything. It's like a metal, but it's a shape of this knife that has a handle and it's called an ULU or an uluwap. And they miniaturize it and put it as like gold, silver or bronze.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, man, that's so Neat. An Uluwap. Did I say that right?

[Ali]

Uluwak.

[Joy Dolo]

Uluwak.

[Ali]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

Cool. Uluwak. I got it. So you've been playing for quite some time. Do you have any favorite memories from the games?

[Ali]

Yeah, it was pretty recent. It's when I was in state and I was doing one for high kick and it was me and the other kid and we were kicking for first place. And then the moment when I hit it, I felt so happy. Cause I got first. We tied for first.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh my gosh.

[Ali]

Yeah, we hit 79 inches.

[Joy Dolo]

79 inches. That's taller than me. Even with my dog standing on my head, it's tall. So just to back up, this was when you were doing the one foot high kick competition. That's when you jump in the air and kick a ball hanging from a string with one foot. The trick is you have to land back on the ground with the same foot you used to kick the ball, which seems really hard. Do you have a technique you use?

[Ali]

Yeah, there's a certain step that you use and you also have to breathe, but you have to put both feet on the ground first and excel your body in the air. And you have to bring up one leg and kick it. So. And I sometimes I need to work on like pushing my back backwards while I'm in the air so I can really extend my leg. And also it's a good thing to like point your toe so you can get higher.

[Joy Dolo]

Okay. So you bend and you point your toe and you. You arch your back. I'm trying to. It sounds a lot like yoga, so I'm trying to figure. I can figure out how to do that. That's really impressive though. I bet you they're really proud of you, huh? Yeah. You must have been pretty proud of yourself too. Yeah, I mean, first, that's a pretty. That's a pretty big deal. And you mentioned that your. Your dad does this as well, right?

[Ali]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

Did he introduce you to the games?

[Ali]

Yeah. It's also a part of his culture.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. That's cool. So he's including you in. In his culture and you're learning from it and taking from it too. That's nice. I love family. Like we mentioned, the Native Youth Olympics takes place in Alaska, and it's all started thanks to some homesick students. But before we get to that, we first have to talk about our big, beautiful 49th state.

[Ali]

Big is right? Alaska is bigger than Montana, California, and Texas combined.

[Joy Dolo]

And there are some truly amazing things there. Icy glaciers, volcanoes, North America's tallest peak. And of course, lots of moose and bears.

[Ali]

As we mentioned, Alaska is home to many Alaska Natives. These are people who have lived in the area for thousands of years, long before it became a US State.

[Joy Dolo]

They live in communities and villages all across the region. I know I've got a book with a map of Alaska somewhere. Nope, nope, that's not it. There's that jar of dill pickles I was looking for.

[Ali]

Joy.

[Joy Dolo]

Mmm, pickles. Oh, right, the book. Aha. Here it is. So, like we mentioned, Alaska Native people live all across the state in different groups. Check out this map. The three biggest groups are the Inupiaq people who live in the north, and.

[Ali]

The Athabaskan people in the central and eastern part of Alaska, and the Yupik.

[Joy Dolo]

People in the southwest.

[Ali]

I'm Yupik.

[Joy Dolo]

So cool. There's also more than 200 federally recognized tribes in Alaska alone.

[Ali]

That's almost as many in the rest of the entire United States. And they speak more than 20 languages.

[Joy Dolo]

There are a handful of bigger cities in Alaska, but most people live in smaller towns, including lots of these Alaska Native villages.

[Ali]

These villages are often pretty remote. There aren't roads to get to them, so you can only travel there by plane or sometimes boat.

[Joy Dolo]

Some only have a few hundred people living there. And for a long time, most of these Alaska Native villages didn't have formal school. So back in the early 1900s, government officials would often send Alaska Native students far from their homes to boarding schools.

[Ali]

This was more than 100 years ago, back when most people in the US didn't have cars, phones, or even plumbing in their houses.

[Joy Dolo]

Right. Most of the schools where Native students were sent were in other states like Oregon, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. These were boarding schools, which meant students lived there for the whole school year.

[Ali]

The government forced Native kids to go to these schools, often against the wishes of their families. Life at the boarding schools was very hard.

[Joy Dolo]

They weren't allowed to wear traditional clothes from their Native culture or speak their own language. They were forced to cut their hair. Sometimes they didn't get enough to eat or were forced to work instead of going to class.

[Ali]

The people who ran these boarding schools often didn't let students contact their families back home, which meant students were completely cut off from their communities.

[Joy Dolo]

Hundreds of thousands of Native kids from all over the US Were sent to these boarding schools, not just Alaska Natives. And the programs kept going for decades.

[Ali]

Fast forward mid-1960s, officials in Alaska were still trying to figure out how to educate Native students in remote villages. And they decided to try something new.

[Joy Dolo]

Instead of only sending students to live far away at boarding schools, they came up with a different idea. Send them to live with other families in bigger cities across Alaska like Anchorage. Once the students got there, they went to high school in those cities.

[Ali]

But the families they lived with were often white, and they weren't always familiar with Alaska Native culture and traditions.

[Joy Dolo]

Holding onto their Alaska Native heritage was tough for these students. For decades, generations of students were sent away from their homes and villages.

[Ali]

And sometimes those students were told to forget their cultures.

[Joy Dolo]

But instead of forgetting it, a group of kids found a way to celebrate their culture together. And in doing so, they would create something new.

[Ali]

The Native Youth Olympics.

[Joy Dolo]

Yes. I can't wait for us to tell the next part of the story. But first, it's time for a different kind of game.

[Ali]

First things first.

[Joy Dolo]

This is the game where we take three things from history and try to put them in order of which came first, second, and most recent in time. And since we're surrounded by so many library books, let's do three books. We have Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Curious George, and the Lorax. Ali, do you know these books?

[Ali]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

Which do you think came first, which came second, and which came most recently in history? And mind you, we're talking about the books, not the movies.

[Ali]

Yeah. So I think Dr. Seuss is old, and I think he made the Lorax first.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah.

[Ali]

Curious George. I remember that when I was a kid and we used to have a book of Curious George that was like an Easter book. And for some reason, for a long time, it smelled like chemicals.

[Joy Dolo]

It was like Easter chemicals.

[Ali]

Yes. Yeah. And Diary of a Wumpie Kid. I remember that coming out. Well, I can't remember it, but I think it's in, like, 2014 or 2012, something like that.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, okay.

[Ali]

I'm gonna go with Curious George and then Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

[Joy Dolo]

Okay, so you're gonna go. The oldest is the Lorax, and then the second is Curious George, and then the most recent is Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

[Ali]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, that sounds like a good guess. We'll hear the answers at the end of the episode, right after the credits, so stick around. We're working on an episode all about the Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts earn badges for gaining special skills, like learning how to do first aid or cooking a delicious meal or even being a great friend. And we want to know, if you could give a badge to an important person in your life, what badge would you give them and why? For me, I would give my mom a badge. And it would be the best hugger badge because when she hugs me, it's so tight. Sometimes I have trouble breathing, but it's just her love smothering me. What about you, Ali? Is there someone in your life who deserves a badge for something?

[Ali]

Yeah, I think someone in my life who would deserve a badge is my parents. I would give them a badge for my education and helping me down the road of acknowledging my culture like the native youth Olympics. So that's the badge I would give them.

[Joy Dolo]

Nice. That's so nice. Listeners, we want to hear from you too. Record yourself describing who you would give a badge to and what it would be for and send it to [e-mail] contact.

[Ali]

You can also send us questions and fan art.

[Joy Dolo]

Yes, like a drawing of me surrounded by all these towers of books from the library. Can't wait to see it. Brains on Universe is a family of podcasts for kids and their adults. Since you're a fan of Forever a goal, you'll love the other shows in our universe. Come on, let's explore. It's Alien exercise hour. Hi yah hoo ha. While I stretch my snoodles and bounce on my trampolini, I'll listen to a new podcast. I'm going to try smashboom Best. The best debate podcast ever.

[Unnamed Participant]

Tell us why Alice in Wonderland has such grand command.

[Joy Dolo]

Drop the beat. Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed judge of smashboom Best, I'd like to start with a few rhymes. Ah, yo. Catch me in the rabbit hole. Dazzled by a magic show by the Z. Come back here. Podcast Must listen to smashboom Best. Now listen to Smash Boom Best. Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Unnamed Participant]

Hey friends. Molly Sandon and Mark here with some very big news. Drum rol.

[Joy Dolo]

We're hitting the road in search of adventure, fresh air, and you.

[Ali]

That's right.

[Joy Dolo]

We're gonna be live at the Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colorado on Sunday, April 27.

[Unnamed Participant]

Our science themed live stage show takes the audience on an adventure through the brain, complete with magic tricks, dance moves, out of body experiences, mystery sounds, and a game show.

[Joy Dolo]

Molly, you almost left out the most important part. Yeah, Molly, don't forget the big party.

[Unnamed Participant]

Oh, right after the shows, we're throwing a Brain Tastic bash. Join us afterward for a VIP party where we'll play games, guess mystery sounds, pose for photos, and give as many high fives as humanly possible. Snag a spot by purchasing a VIP pass when you buy your show ticket.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, that reminds me. I've got to Start training. These hands aren't gonna high five by themselves. Five. Good idea. And remember, spots are limited, so grab your tickets [e-mail] events.

[Unnamed Participant]

Is there a teen in your life who needs a little extra help learning how to manage their finances? Financially Inclined From Marketplace is a podcast you can trust to help Gen Z get started Serious about money. I'm the host, Janelie Espinal, and each week I talk to experts about essential and practical personal finance topics like choosing a college that you can actually afford, finding internship opportunities, and how to start a business while you're still young. Let's make sure the next generation gets these financial lessons sooner than we did. Listen to Financially Inclined. Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Joy Dolo]

You'Re listening to Forever Ago. I'm Joy.

[Ali]

And I'm Ali. And just in case you were wondering, yes, we are still surrounded by Joy's stacks of library books.

[Joy Dolo]

Contrary to popular belief, they are organized.

[Ali]

Like by genre or alphabetically.

[Joy Dolo]

No, actually I use my own dolo decimal system. So each stack is grouped by the author's astrological sign. Then whether they like crunchy or creamy peanut butter, see War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Obviously, Tolstoy was a Virgo and a crunchy peanut butter man, so this one goes right on top.

[Ali]

Uh oh, book stuck down.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, for the love of Tolstoy. We can clean that up later. But for now, let's get back to today's topic. The Native Youth Olympics.

[Ali]

The Native Youth Olympics is an annual sporting event that honors traditional skills from Alaska Native culture.

[Joy Dolo]

But this culture wasn't always celebrated by everyone. Before the break, we learned that for decades, Alaska Native kids were often separated from their families and their traditional culture. Lots of kids were sent away to boarding schools.

[Ali]

In the 1960s, there was a different program that sent Native students from remote villages to bigger cities in Alaska.

[Joy Dolo]

These students lived with host families in those cities so they could go to high school. Often, these Native students lived with white families.

[Ali]

Fast forward to 1970. Bell bottom pants are the latest trend, and handheld calculators were a new invention.

[Joy Dolo]

During winter break, there was a group of students who couldn't afford to go back home and had to stay in Anchorage, Alaska.

[Ali]

They were staying with their host families instead.

[Joy Dolo]

Some of these families asked the Native students what they usually did during the.

[Ali]

Holidays, and these students said they played games.

[Joy Dolo]

Now, these games were different from other games like Candy Land or Monopoly. These were traditional Alaska Native games that had been passed down for generations.

[Ali]

So these kids got together and played these Native games. It was so fun. They wanted to do it again.

[Joy Dolo]

Then a few months later, the students and a group of volunteers organized a small event.

[Ali]

The first official Native Youth Olympics.

[Joy Dolo]

The year was 1971.

[Ali]

Dozens of kids from 12 schools packed in a gymnasium in Anchorage, Alaska.

[Joy Dolo]

People came from nearby, others from far away.

[Ali]

Some students even traveled from across the.

[Joy Dolo]

State, all for a chance to play.

[Ali]

It was a blast. The first Native Youth Olympics was in 1971. But these games are much older than that.

[Nicole Johnson]

These are games that have been around for hundreds and hundreds of years.

[Ali]

That's Nicole Johnson. She's the head official and instructor at the Native Youth Olympics.

[Joy Dolo]

She helps organize the games and teaches others about them.

[Ali]

Nicole is also Alaska Native and a former Native Youth Olympics athlete herself.

[Joy Dolo]

Nicole says these games were first invented by native people as a way to practice important skills.

[Nicole Johnson]

Before Western or Eastern society moved into Alaska or just into the north. You had to survive off of the land also, because you had to walk everywhere. You had to move with the seasons. They were nomadic. It is tough to live off of land. You have to know where to hunt and fish, which berries and greens and roots that you can eat and use for medicine. So they created games to test the strengths of our people physically and mentally.

[Ali]

These athletic games helped train native people to survive in intense environments around them.

[Joy Dolo]

People had to be skilled hunters to catch fish and seals.

[Ali]

It was also important to have good balance, to be quick on your feet.

[Joy Dolo]

Right. Especially when walking on delicate ice on rivers or oceans.

[Ali]

These games also helped to build a community.

[Joy Dolo]

When you were out traveling and hunting, you had to be able to rely on and support one another. So these games were not only a way to train your body, but also a way to help develop friendships.

[Ali]

There are so many different games. A popular one is called Inuit stickpole. That's when two people sit on the ground facing each other with their soles of their feet pressed together and spotters that would hold their hips and their feet together.

[Joy Dolo]

A stick is placed between the two people, and the goal is to pull the stick away from the other person. Kind of like a tug of war.

[Ali]

This game builds the same strength that native hunters use to pull seals out of the water and onto the ice.

[Joy Dolo]

Another popular game is called the one foot high kick. Ali, this is the game that we talked about earlier that you've competed in.

[Ali]

Right. That's where you start off standing and then jump up.

[Joy Dolo]

And while you're in the air, you kick and kick. A ball hanging from a string.

[Ali]

Yeah. You have to kick the ball with just one foot and land on Only the foot that you used to kick the ball with.

[Joy Dolo]

Players take turns and the ball is raised higher and higher until there's only one player left.

[Ali]

The player who kicks the ball the highest height wins.

[Joy Dolo]

So the one foot high kick was first used as a way for hunters to communicate a successful hunt to one another.

[Ali]

Yeah, it can be really flat out there on the tundra or the Arctic ice, so you can see from very far distances. So you could do one foot high kick as a way to communicate a good hunt, even from far away.

[Joy Dolo]

Sort of like using sign language, but with your entire body. I love using body language to send messages. It beats regular schmegular texting any day. Like when I do jazz hands to show I just picked up a new library book just like this. Another stack bites the dust. Ow. I'll clean that one up later.

[Ali]

Games like the Inuit stick, pole and one foot high kick have been passed down from generation to generation.

[Joy Dolo]

They were partly tradition, but also just fun. Since the first Native Youth Olympics in 1971, the Games have grown bigger and bigger, drawing more and more people every year.

[Ali]

Today There are over 500 students who compete in the Native Youth Olympics.

[Joy Dolo]

Some of the Games are even a part of gym classes at schools across Alaska.

[Ali]

Community is still at the heart of these games today. Here's Nicole again.

[Nicole Johnson]

Today, when we play these games, we pass on that sense of community and encouragement to one another. For example, when athletes compete against each other, they coach each other, other coaches help other coaches with tips and tricks on how to kick higher, jump farther, techniques on strength events. And it's really just all about community and sportsmanship.

[Joy Dolo]

That sounds so supportive. Ali, how does the Native Youth Olympics feel different from other sporting events you've been to?

[Ali]

It's more open of mistakes, unlike from, like hockey, when they get so mad and it's like more. It's more of a way of to show how you compete. And it's not really that you're competing against other players. You're competing against yourself, seeing how high you can get and your personal best record of, like, how high you could jump kick.

[Joy Dolo]

I love what you said. That it's like competing against yourself as opposed to against another person. It really adds to that sense of community when you're kind of just focusing on doing the best that you can. And in that way, you can kind of encourage someone else to do the best that they can. And you know, it is true, like a lot of sports that I see, like hockey or basketball or football or whatever, it does seem like it's so competitive. And it gets so. People get so angry.

[Ali]

Yeah, it's more like you're rooting for one team, though. In the Native Youth Olympics, you're rooting for everyone.

[Joy Dolo]

Listeners. If you want to learn more about the Native Youth Olympics and watch videos of different events, we'll have some links in our show notes, so check them out. And in the spirit of camaraderie, what do you say we return some library books together? I think at least a dozen of these might be a wee bit overdue.

[Ali]

Teamwork makes the dream work. But how are we going to carry all of them? There are hundreds.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, ye of little faith. I have a plan. Just let me back up my book. Dozer, put on this hard hat and start tossing books in the book. Dozer. Yee ha. The Native Youth Olympics is a sporting event that honors Alaska Native traditions.

[Ali]

These games have existed for hundreds or maybe even thousands of years. We play them as a way to test our skills and build community.

[Joy Dolo]

Alaska Native culture was not always celebrated. Many Alaska Native children were sent away to boarding schools and programs where they were separated from their own traditions.

[Ali]

However, a group of Alaska Native students came together to celebrate their culture through the games, and the Native Youth Olympics was born.

[Joy Dolo]

The Native Youth Olympics continue to grow in popularity, and community and sportsmanship remain at the center of the Games. This episode was written by Ruby Guthrie and Shayla Farzon. It was produced and factored checked by Nico Gonzalez Whistler and edited by Sandon Totten. Engineering help from Alex Simpson and Derek Hawkis with sound design by Rachel Breese. Original theme music by Mark Sanchez. We had additional production help from the rest of the brains on Universe Team.

[Unnamed Participant]

Molly Bloom, Rosie Dupont, Anna Goldfield, Lauren.

[Joy Dolo]

Humpert, Joshua Ray, Rebecca Rand, Mark Sanchez, Charlotte Traver, Anna Wegel and Aron Woldeselassi. Beth Pearlman is our executive producer and the executives in charge of APM Studios are Chandra Kavadi and Joanne Griffith. Special thanks to Dr. Maria Williams, Kyle Wuerl, Nicole Johnson and Lauren and Philip Blanchett.

[Ali]

And if you want to access the ad free episodes and special bonus stuff, subscribe to our smarty pass.

[Joy Dolo]

Okay, Ellie, are you ready to hear the answers for first things First?

[Ali]

Yes, let's do it.

[Joy Dolo]

Okay, so as a reminder, first up, you said the Lorax and then Curious George and then Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Yes. All right, let's see what the answer is. Okay, so first up is Curious George.

[Ali]

Really?

[Joy Dolo]

Actually, yeah. Curious George was written and illustrated by a German couple in 1941, and the couple's name was H A and Margaret Ray and the Rays were both German Jews. And in 1940 they had flee Europe to escape Nazi rule. So the Curious George manuscript was one of the few items that they brought with them. Since its first publication in 1941, the original Curious George has never run out of print. Mind blown. Curious George, 1941. I remember reading Curious George.

[Ali]

Wow. I did not expect it to be that old.

[Joy Dolo]

Me neither. Wow. So Curious George was first and then next up was the Lorax, actually, which I thought would be the oldest. Because of Dr. Seuss. Because he's old, like you said. But it was written by Dr. Seuss in 1971. He wrote the Lorax after reflecting on his own concerns about the destruction of the environment, like trees being cut down. The Lorax has since become an animated movie and is now often used as a symbol for the environmental movement. And you said you've seen it too, right?

[Ali]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

So that means last but not least is Diary of a Wimpy Kid, which you were absolutely right about. That was the most recent. And so that came out in 2007. Oh, yeah. So too long ago. That was written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney and it is one of the best selling book series of all time.

[Ali]

And they're still making more.

[Joy Dolo]

And they're still making more. Yeah. We'll be back next week with a new episode about the history of fireworks.

[Ali]

Thanks for listening.