Even 19 years later, Serene Porter still remembers the thrill of the moment.
“I cannot even explain in words what that feels like,” she says, thinking back to being in those stands, taking in that moment, looking out into the crowd and seeing herself reflected back, for once. “It’s just a sense of belonging, you know? A sense of that network and community.” “Everyone’s so proud to represent not only their province but especially the Nations and Territories they come from, and that’s not something that we get to do every day. Hearing the kids scream for their Territories or their Nations that they come from, and the smiles on their faces, even seeing the families and parents and how proud they are to see that, it’s really contagious.”
Porter, who’s since returned to NAIG to serve as the executive director of marketing and partnerships for the Games’ host society, understood the full weight of that painful but necessary decision. That work hasn’t been easy, her mother Justine says, with Mia limited to running or hitting the occasional ball on her own as gym closures prevented her from practising with her team.
“It wasn’t only them playing in the Games, but also the coaches that were there, that watched them play, and recruited them,” says Dunfield. “NAIG provides that really amazing opportunity to do that, and I know that scouts are looking more and more at NAIG when it comes around, to be able to recruit Indigenous athletes.”
“What’s being missed the most is a generation of athletes that will not be able to compete at the Games, and just how heartbreaking that is,” says Dunfield. “Because we do have a generation of athletes that will never be able to experience NAIG because of the pandemic.”Amid all the heartbreak that’s come over the past year — in and outside of the context of sports — the focus for those at the helm is on bringing the Games back as soon as possible.
As an extension of that, the Games serve as a path to educating non-Indigenous communities in the region, too. They create connections that can grow long after the Games’ closing ceremonies conclude.“We’re seeing it happen when we go out and interact with these businesses. They didn’t hear about NAIG, ever. Some of them don’t know the full history of them being on Mi’gma’gi Territory, so we get to have these discussions with them and start that discussion,” says Porter.
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