Native Youth Olympics Celebrates 40th Year

0:00It's April 15th. You're listening to Anchorage News today. A.I. Powered Local News. I'm Cory with the story. The Native Youth Olympics marks its 40th year this week in Anchorage, Alaska, bringing nearly 400 young athletes from over 100 communities statewide. These kids will compete in 12 traditional games rooted in native skills, pulling together talent from every corner of the state. The events highlight moves like stick pools, high kicks, toe kicks and risk carries, all designed to showcase strength and agility passed down. Through generations, it's less about raw competition and more about honoring culture, building bonds, and celebrating what makes Alaska's Native youth stand out. For these athletes, especially the students, this is the peak of their year after months of training in local matches. Organizes stress, sportsmanship, and character, even rewarding kids for how they handled themselves on the floor, turning it into a lessening community, over trophies. This edition carries extra weight as the first since Typhoon Halong hit Western

1:03Alaska hard, displacing families and scattering some competitors to. Anchorage Schools. It offers a timely reunion spot for relatives still recovering or rebuilding back home. Opening ceremonies fire up at 11 a.m. on April 16th, wrapping with the awards on April 18th and it's all free for anyone to watch. Head to the Cook Inlet Tribal Council site for ways to back the program and keep the tradition alive.