The Aboriginal Sport Circle has been granted $25,000 in funding by the True Sport Foundation, which they will put towards developing a training manual to teach Inuit and Dene games in gym classes.

"It shows that the organization believes in investing into Aboriginal youth and their culture,” said Greg Edgelow, Executive Director of the Aboriginal Sports Circle.

"The foundation recognized the importance of carrying on tradition.”

Inuit and Dene games were developed around hunting skills. Many of the events use extreme balance and strength techniques. Originally developed to hone skills, they eventually turned into a competition, and are now a highly competitive event held throughout Northern communities.

"Historically these types of sports were a way of life up here,” said Edgelow.

Cody Wilkinson, who is coordinating the program has been holding practices at Elijah Smith Elementary School for the past two weeks to recruit athletes to go to the Arctic Winter Games this year, in hopes of getting Whitehorse involved with the games ahead of the training manual's development.

"The way it was taught back then was on survival,” said Wilkinson. "Most of the games are based on fun and for celebration.”

At Tuesday night's practice Wilkinson and friend Mike Kelly demonstrated a number of Inuit and Dene games as well as a few Russian events including the one foot kick, one hand reach, Alaskan high kick, knee jump, stick pole, finger pole, triple jump and the cringe inducing knuckle hop in which the athlete hops as far as they can in a push-up position on their knuckles.

Edgelow, a former Olympian, came out to Tuesday night's practice to try his hand at the events as well.

Edgelow and Wilkinson hope to develop the training manual to someday be implemented into the Yukon gym class curriculum. They are meeting with Yukon Education to discuss the possibility.

"We'd like to have Inuit and Dene games individual sports integrated into the curriculum,” said Edgelow. "We want to continue the tradition of those sports.”

The manual will not only introduce teachers to the games, it will help train them to be able to teach their students. The Sports Circle hopes to have individuals like Wilkinson go into schools to assist teachers.

Edgelow says Inuit and Dene games are a perfect fit for students who don't enjoy conventional school sports, such as volleyball or basketball.

"Sometimes you may not fit into that mold,” he said. "With traditional sports, anyone can participate in them.”

Wilkinson says the games can be used by athletes training for other sports, because many of the events help develop balance and strength.

"One of the questions I get a lot is don't you have to be First Nations or Inuit?” Wilkinson said. He says that anyone can participate at the Arctic Winter Games and enjoy Inuit and Dene games.

Inuit and Dene games are already being taught in schools in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, northern Quebec and in Alaska.

"Hopefully within a few years it will be in the curriculum,” said Wilkinson.

Wilkinson will be taking his skills on the road in February when he will be doing a demonstration at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He hopes that some day schools will have their own Inuit and Dene competitions.

Edgelow says that even if Inuit and Dene games are not implemented into schools, the manual will still be a valuable resource.

Practices are being held every second Thursday, including this week, at the College from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. Tuesday night practices are from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Elijah Smith Elementary School in the gym.

Wilkinson will be doing a demonstration there Saturday at their fundraiser and flea market, which runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Yukon sporting groups also recieving grants of $5,000 from the True Sport Foundation are The Yukon Badminton Association,and RCMP.