Nicole Johnson Sets Return at 57 at WEIO

Johnson’s Long Journey in Arctic Sports

At the 1989 World Eskimo Indian Olympics, Iñupiaq athlete Nicole Johnson set a women’s world record in the two‑foot high kick, striking the seal‑skin target at 6 ft 6 in. She dreamed of kicking with both feet in the air, and the crowd’s cheers marked the moment. Johnson now serves on the WEIO board of governors and heads the event’s officiating, competing in most of its gatherings over a lifetime. At 57, she will step into the dene stick pull, hoping to keep the tradition alive until “I’m in my walker or wheelchair,” she promised.

WEIO: A Celebration of Indigenous Culture

This year’s WEIO runs July 15‑18 in Fairbanks, drawing hundreds of Indigenous athletes from Alaska, Greenland, Siberia and Canada. Competitors must be at least 12 years old and can join the ranks into their 70s, competing for camaraderie as much as medals. Last year nearly 3,000 tickets were sold, showing growing interest in the games that once were practiced in secret. The event also features regalia contests, traditional dancing and arts‑and‑crafts displays, preserving skills once essential for survival on the tundra.

From Suppression to Revival of Indigenous Games

When the U.S. bought Alaska in 1867, federal policies forced assimilation, culminating in the 1884 Organic Act that spread missionary schools where children were punished for speaking native languages and forbidden to hunt or fish. Rosita Worl, a Tlingit anthropologist and president of the Sealaska Heritage Institute, described the games as “basic training for hunting and fishing,” a link they tried to erase. Indigenous people practiced ceremonies away from white observers, sometimes pretending to play when spotted. The first WEIO was held in 1961 to ensure the games survived, and the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act—granting 44 million acres and more political power—solidified a cultural resurgence.

Youth Champions Fuel the Next Generation

Today families, schools and community centers teach Alaska Native games, and programs like the Native Youth Olympics in Anchorage keep the momentum going. 37‑year‑old Yup’ik athlete Amber Vaska, WEIO’s board president, learned the games at age 10 in Aniak and now trains with weightlifting, plyometrics and running for events such as the kneel jump. Kyle Worl, a Tlingit‑Yup’ik‑Deg Hit’an wellness administrator, carries the communal spirit forward, having coached a Juneau school program and taken southern Alaska youth to WEIO. His passion ignited when a high‑school teacher dismissed the games as “not a real sport,” prompting him to prove their legitimacy.

Kyle Worl’s Global Vision for Arctic Sports

Now Kyle competes in multiple events, including the knuckle hop—starting on knuckles and toes and hopping like a seal—while training with gloves to protect his hands. He travels worldwide demonstrating the games, inviting Indigenous groups from Mexico and New Zealand to join Arctic sports events. As a board member of the North American Indigenous Games, he helped introduce Arctic sports to the 2028 Canadian competition. His ultimate goal is to showcase these games at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, highlighting both Indigenous heritage and the region’s frontline role in the climate crisis. “Our culture is something alive,” he says, “and it can live beyond its original context.”