_________________
We interviewed George Bennett, who is a coach and who has been involved in Native Youth Olympics for many years. He was able to share with us information about the history of the games.
300 - 350 people enter the Native Youth Olympics games in Anchorage every year. There aren't records of who won the first NYO games ever played because the records have been lost.
NYO events really come from skills needed for hunting. The stick pull was used to help arm muscles grow stronger. The one arm reach and the arm pull also helped to develop strong arm muscles that could pull a seal out of the water. The high kick was used to send a message about hunting success or disaster. Long ago they used the high kick to signal people across flat, frozen land. The reason for the seal hop is to sneak up on a seal. All of these skills helped someone to be a better hunter.
