The 65th World Eskimo-Indian Olympics opened this week at the Carlson Center, running July 15 through 18.

Athletes were competing in the toe kick before the opening ceremony even began, an event that simulates navigating rotting ice during spring breakup. Others warmed up for the one-hand reach and ran qualifiers for the four-man carry. Head official Nicole Johnson noted that the games rotate some events in and out each year, and that this year’s slate includes several that were not contested in 2025.

The competition draws Native athletes and dance groups from across Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Siberia, alongside arts and crafts vendors, regalia displays and the Miss WEIO pageant. Events like the Alaskan high kick, knuckle hop and Eskimo stick pull test strength, balance and pain tolerance, and each traces back to a survival skill: the stick pull mimics hauling a seal from the water, the four-man carry the weight of meat packed back to camp.

Daytime sessions are free. Evening admission runs $15 general, $10 for seniors, military and youth, with children under 6 and elders over 80 admitted free.

WEIO began in 1961 on the banks of the Chena River as part of Golden Days, the city’s gold rush celebration, and the two events still overlap each July. It became its own nonprofit and added women’s events after 1970.