Nova Scotia Community

Thank you, Wela'lioq, NAIG 2023

Thank you, Wela'lioq, to everyone who participated, celebrated, shared and connected at the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), Dartmouth, Millbrook First Nation and Sipekne'katik, Nova Scotia.
On left side of this image are pieces of CBC gem in orange, yellow, teal blue, blue against a black background. There is a red circle with a white CBC logo near the top at the left. In the centre is a boat with stylized paddlers one is blue, one red and one yellow. In the centre is the text in white: 2023 North American Indigenous Games and Thank you, Welalioq.
Thank you, Wela'lioq, to everyone who participated, celebrated, shared and connected at the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), Dartmouth, Millbrook First Nation and Sipekne'katik, Nova Scotia.

An unforgettable week of Indigenous sport and culture has come to an end. How do you sum up an experience like this? 

The video project is a collaboration between CBC East Coast and NAIG with support from the creative team at threesixfive media and Raymond Sewell. Dave Culligan, Founder and CEO of threesixfive, and Gavin Hatheway, COO of threesixfive, were the first creators to participate with the CBC Creator Network in the Atlantic region. Raymond is an l'nu poet and singer-songwriter from Pabineau First Nation.

Highlights from the Games

CBC was on-site taking pics and handing out cool CBC swag at the Cultural Village, the heart of the Games at the Halifax Common, throughout the Games. Find your photo from the CBC Photo Booth here.

Discover highlights and stories at cbc.ca/naig or follow CBC Sports on YouTube.

NAIG 2027

The 11th hosting of NAIG will take place in Calgary in 2027 marking the second time the Games have been held in Alberta. Read more here.

Favourite Photos

A man laughing with squinting eyes holds a clear jar filled with pins. He is wearing a navy zip up jacket and khaki pants.
Cedric Fragua, Mission Staff from New Mexico, was the lucky winner of the CBC Pin Drop Draw. Athletes and coaches were invited to drop a pin into the jar for a chance to win them all. Cedric had the lucky ballot, taking home over 400 NAIG pins. (Lynn Bessoudo/CBC)
Two women holding a cut-out trophy between them that reads "Athlete"
Madlynn Trew (left) won a bronze medal in wrestling and Olivia Rose (right) won a gold medal in wrestling for Team Saskatchewan on Thursday, July 20. (Lynn Bessoudo/CBC)
A montage of three photos: A woman with long beaded earrings and brown hair wears a ribbon skirt of rainbow colours and blue shirt and holds up a mock trophy with the words "#1 Auntie" on it. In the second photo she shows off her nails with one nail in light blue, one in yellow and one in red and a canoe with three paddles on white on another. In the third photos she shows a tattoo of the Indigenous Game of Waltes.
Joanne Cope dons a beautiful ribbon skirt and displays a trophy with "#1 Auntie" on it at the CBC Pop-Up Photo Booth on Wednesday at the North American Indigenous Games Cultural Village. She shows her NAIG-themed manicure and a tattoo of the Game of Waltes, of which she's hoping to become a champion. (Katie Jackson and Lynn Bessoudo/CBC)
Two boys standing side by side smiling, one with the arm around the other, in front of a colourful wall.
Team Wisconsin baseball players at the CBC Photo Booth during NAIG 2023. (Chantal Bernard/CBC)
Woman in Indigenous regalia including yellow crown, yellow blazer, medallion and ribbon skirt standing a grass field.
Cheryl Copage-Gehue, a member of the Sipekne'katik First Nation and Halifax's Indigenous adviser, speaks with CBC's Information Morning - NS during the North American Indigenous Games on-site at the Cultural Village at the Halifax Common. (Chantal Bernard/CBC)
Four teenage female athletes in black t-shirts and shorts, all with dark hair. One woman wearing a multi-coloured bucket hat. One woman is holding signs that reads, "Hello from Mi'kma'ki",  another with a sign "I (heart symbol) Kjipuktuk" and another with a sign that reads "Athlete." They are standing against a backdrop that says CBC with geometric shapes of light blue, blue, orange, yellow on a white background.
Athletes from Newfoundland and Labrador dropped by the CBC Pop-Up Studio for a photo before heading to the Opening Ceremony on Sunday. (Shona Wolpert/CBC)
Two men flexing the muscles of their right arms and give a funny toothy smile holding trophy props with the words Athlete and Stoodis on the base of the trophies. They are in a photo booth at the North American Indigenous Games.
Athletes from Saskatchewan flex their muscles in the CBC Photo Booth on Saturday at Cultural Village. Competition in 16 sports begins on Monday. (Greg Guy/CBC)
Man with beard and woman wearing white hijab smile inside a heart-shaped cut-out frame that reads "Hello! From Mi'kma'ki"
Tareq Haddad, founder and CEO of Peace by Chocolate, and his wife Mila Zidan visit the CBC Pop-Up photo studio during the North American Indigenous Games. (Greg Guy/CBC)
Man wearing sunglasses and Indigenous regalia holds two cut-out lobsters and smiles.
Michael R. Denny from Eskasoni First Nation visits the CBC Pop-Up photo studio during the North American Indigenous Games. (Greg Guy/CBC)
A projection of light and photos on the wall of a building including three female faces and the words "Hello from Mi'kma'ki" in the top left corner. The projection includes a rainbow of colours from green, blue, yellow, reds splashed on the buildling.
Photos and voices from NAIG 2023 are part of a CBC projection show until Friday at the old Halifax Memorial Library from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. (Natalie Dobbin/CBC)

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