Traditional Games and Dance

TRADITIONAL GAMES

Traditional games are passed down through generations. Since play knows no age we hope everyone has fun, young and old. Traditionally, games have been played to celebrate the good times and to heal during the not so great times. We hope that you are taking a moment each day to move and play. Here are a few traditional ways to stay healthy and active.

• Active For Life - Has Five Indigenous games to play with your children to check out like One Foot High Kick, Snow Snake, Make the Stick Jump and more.
• Sport for Life article, Celebrating Indigenous Physical Literacy
• Indigenous Games for Children From 10 Indigenous Communities Across Canada. This document has 30 games including the Friendship Dance, Animal Muk, and Find a Talking Stick.
• Alphabet Animoves Blackfoot Edition from Ever Active is a free download to learn the names of animals in Indigenous Blackfoot languages through creative movements and fun! Cree and Stoney are also available.
• As Big as the Sky, as Tall as the Trees is a book that promotes physical activity for children in the early years (0-5). You can watch an online reading of this story written by Leah Yardley HERE.
• Arctic Winter Games is a multi-sport competition with events like the Bench Reach, Head Pull, Leg Wrestle, Finger Pull, Stick Pull, Musk-ox Push, Knuckle Hop, Knee Jump, Alaskan High Kick, Two Foot High kick, Airplane, Back Push. Watch this clip RMR: Rick and Arctic Winter Games to see event demonstrations and Rick gives them a try.

TRADITIONAL DANCE

Taking part in a traditional dance is a way to celebrate, heal, and exercise. The Jingle Dance is one in particular that has been getting a lot of attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Jingle Dress dance is commonly seen in competitive powwows, performed by Indigenous women and girls, and gets its name from the rows of metal cones – called ziibaaska’iganan – attached to their dresses which make a distinctive sound as they dance.

• Jingle Dress Steps dance instructional video.
• Women's Jingle Dress @ Lethbridge International Peace Powwow 2020
• Teen Girls Jingle Dress @ Lethbridge International Peace Powwow 2020
• A jingle dance to help heal the world - Women and young girls across North America are jingle dress dancing in the face of COVID-19

Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council - How you can stay healthy and keep active from home - tips from our Sport and Healthy Living Teams