Musk Ox was one of the events on display Thursday, with students from across the District taking part at the Indigenous Games at John Barsby Secondary School. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

cultural competition

‘Everybody together as one, it’s just so powerful:’ Indigenous Games return to Nanaimo high school

May 8, 2025 | 12:22 PM

NANAIMO — A mix of cultures and sporting competition was on offer at a local high school Thursday.

Between 250 and 300 students, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, from across the Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district were at John Barsby Secondary School on Thursday, May 8, for the return of the Indigenous Games, last held in 2023.

Jacob Thom, an Indigenous Support Teacher at the school, said a major focus this year was including Coast Salish games into the schedule, which primarily favoured games from more northern First Nations.

“One is Lahal and the other one’s going to be lacrosse. Those games are super meaningful to the Coast Salish people, the games are specific to the northern territories, so we’re trying to rebrand them as a bit more of local games, and try to say, ‘hey, these are Indigenous Games for all people, not just representing a smaller community’.”

Lahal, sometimes called the ‘stick game’ or ‘bone game’, is a strategy-based contest involving small pieces of bone.

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Thom said the day’s activities are also an opportunity to share Indigenous lessons, culture and values with the wider school population, as well as provide some additional sport-based outlets for students.

“There’s going to be an opportunity for some kids to showcase skills that they have, and they might not necessarily get to display those things in a traditional setting. Not everyone’s going to be playing on the basketball team, not everyone’s playing on the soccer team, the rugby, the football team.”

Students tested the strength of their lacrosse shots against a radar gun. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Many of the events, including leg wrestling, Musk Ox and high kick have what Thom referred to as “transferrable skills” linked back to activities like hunting.

Future goals include turning the event into a school-based competition and expanding sport offerings.

“It’s a pipe dream, but we do want to, at some point, explore what it would look like having canoe races or something on the water, because that’s such a meaningful activity to the Snuneymuxw First Nation and the Coast Salish people.”

Gena Seward-Wilson (yutustanait) is a Hul’q’umi’num’ teacher in the district.

She said the event is a special representation of culture.

“It’s powerful, once you get everybody together as one, it’s just so powerful. That’s how it is when we’re together as one, we work together as one, and you can feel it inside everybody inside there.”

Seward-Wilson added bringing the community together has a lot of positive benefits aside from just the physical aspect.

“The impact is teaching everybody how our people live, educating them. So they know our people, they know the value of not going into war, everything else is bringing them together as one and working together.”

Students from every secondary school in the District participated, along with those attending the Learning Alternatives and Island Connect-Ed programs.

Gena Seward-Wilson expanded on the importance of sharing how meaningful traditional Indigenous activities and sports are to their people. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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