Kivalliq News - Feb. 8, 2023

Team Nunavut brings home 51 uluit

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A first for Nunavut at the Arctic Winter Games Team Nunavut overjoyed with U19 boys hockey win at 2023 Arctic Winter Games

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services

You could see the emotion on Team Nunavut captain Garren Voisey’s face when the final buzzer sounded, marking Nunavut as U19 boys hockey champions of the 2023 Arctic Winter Games in Wood Buffalo, Alta. “I can’t believe this,” said an out-of-breath

Voisey after many hugs and cheers with his teammates. “I can’t explain. It’s hard to put into words. Amazing, amazing, incredible.”

Nunavut got out to an early lead over second-place Alaska and they never looked back, finishing them off 4-1 on Friday evening.

Kadin Eetuk, Micah Emiktowt Gregory Wiseman and Prime Paniyuk all put up goals in the medal game, with goaltender Tucker St. John shutting the door behind them.

“This is unbelievable,” said Kobe Tanuyak, also at a loss for words.

Coach David Clark said he was feeling a great sense of accomplishment and pride in his players.

“This is the first gold medal ever for Nunavut in hockey,” said Clark about the AWGs. “I told these guys a long time ago that we could do it if we just believed. We stuck to our plan and we came out on top. What else can you say?”

He couldn’t name one player who stepped up in the gold medal game, saying everyone did and they stepped up all week.

“Everybody played hard,” said Clark. “We did it as a team and it was always about a team, and we always stressed it’s team first and we’re going to do it together. They did it, and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

He gave a big thank you to the best hockey fans in the world back home in Rankin Inlet and Nunavut.

Team Nunavut gathers for a celebration in front of their ever-loving fans after winning hockey gold in the U19 division of the 2023 Arctic Winter Games. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑏᑦ ᑳᑉᑕᖓᓐᓂ ᒋᐊᕆᓐ ᕗᐊᓯᒥ ᑭᖑᓪᓕᖅᐹᖅ ᖁᖁᐊᕈᑎ ᓂᓪᓕᕋᒥ, ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᔪᒥ

ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ U19−ᒥ ᓄᑲᑉᐱᐊᓄᑦ ᕼᐋᑭᒥ

ᓵᓚᖃᖅᑎᐅᓂᖏᓐᓂ 2023−ᒥ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ

ᐅᑭᐅᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᙳᐊᕐᓂᐅᔪᓂ Wood Buffalo, ᐋᓪᐴᑕᒥ ᕕᕗᐊᕆ 3−ᒥ.

“ᐅᒃᐱᕈᓱᙱᓚᖓ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ

ᐊᓂᕐᓂᑭᑦᑐᒥ ᕗᐊᓯ ᐊᒥᓱᓂ ᐃᕿᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ

ᐊᒻᒪ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᐅᕐᔪᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᐱᙳᐊᖃᑎᒥᓂᑦ.

“ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕈᓐᓇᙱᓚᖓ. ᐊᔪᕐᓇᖅᐳᖅ ᐅᖃᕋᓱᖕᓂᕐᒧᑦ.

ᑲᒪᓇᖅᑐᖅ, ᐊᒃᓱᐊᓗᒃ ᑲᒪᓇᖅᑐᖅ.”

ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᓯᕗᓂᐊᓂ ᖄᖏᖅᓯᒪᓂᖃᓕᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ

ᒪᕐᕈᖓᓂ−ᑐᕌᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐊᓛᔅᑲᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᑎᒧᑦ ᕿᕕᐊᒃᑲᓐᓂᓚᐅᙱᓚᑦ, ᐱᔭᕇᖅᖢᑎᒃ 4-1− ᖑᔪᒥ.

ᑲᐃᑎᓐ ᐃᑦᑐᖅ, ᒪᐃᑲ ᐃᒥᒃᑕᐅᑦ, ᒍᕋᒍᕆ ᐅᐊᐃᔅᒪᓐ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐳᕋᐃᒻ ᐸᓂᔪᒃ ᑕᒪᒃᑭᑦ ᐃᓯᖅᑎᑦᑎᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐅᔭᒥᑖᕋᓱᖕᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᙳᐊᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ, ᐃᓯᖅᑎᑦᑎᑦᑕᐃᓕᒪᔨᐅᔪᒥ ᑕᑯᕐ ᓴᐃᓐᑦ ᔮᓐ ᒪᑐᓯᓪᓗᓂ

ᐹᒥᒃ ᑐᓄᐊᓂ.

“ᐅᓇ ᐅᒃᐱᕐᓇᙱᓚᖅ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᑰᐱ ᑕᓄᔭᒃ, ᐊᓯᐅᔨᓯᒪᔪᖅᑕᐅᖅ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᒃᓴᓂ.

ᐊᔪᕆᖅᓱᐃᕙᒃᑐᖅ ᑕᐃᕕᑦ ᑲᓛᒃ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᒃᐱᒍᓱᓚᐅᕐᓂᖓᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ

ᐅᐱᒍᓱᖕᓂᕐᒥ ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑎᖏᓐᓂ. “ᐅᓇ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐸᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᒎᓗᒥ ᐅᔭᒥᒃᑖᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᕼᐋᑭᒧᑦ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᑲᓛᒃ ᐆᒥᖓ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᐅᑭᐅᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᙳᐊᕐᓂᐅᔪᓂ.

“ᐅᖃᐅᑎᓚᐅᖅᐸᒃᑲ ᐊᖑᑎᐅᔪᑦ ᖃᖓᐅᔮᓗᒃ

ᐱᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐅᒃᐱᕈᓱᕐᑯᑦᑕ. ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑎᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ

ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᓚᐅᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖁᑦᑎᓛᖓᓄᐊᓚᐅᖅᐳᒍᑦ.

ᖃᓄᒃᑲᓐᓂᖅ ᐅᖃᕈᓐᓇᖅᐱᑕ?” ᐊᑦᑎᖅᓯᔪᓐᓇᓚᐅᙱᓚᖅ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᐅᔪᒥ

ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑎᐅᔪᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ ᒎᓗᒥ

ᐅᔭᒥᒃᑖᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᙳᐊᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ, ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᑕᒪᒃᑭᑦ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᓕᕆᑦᑎᐊᒃᑲᓐᓂᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ

ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓯᓕᒫᒥ. “ᑭᒃᑯᓕᒫᑦ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐱᙳᐊᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ,”

ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᑲᓛᒃ. “ᐱᓕᕆᓚᐅᖅᐸᕗᑦ

ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑎᐅᓪᓗᑕ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᐃᓐᓇᐅᔭᖅᐳᖅ

ᑲᑎᙵᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑎᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪ

ᐅᖃᐃᓐᓇᐅᔭᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑏᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᐅᕗᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ

ᑲᑎᙵᓪᓗᑕ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᐊᖅᐳᒍᑦ. ᐱᓕᕆᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᐱᒃᑲᓐᓂᕈᓐᓇᙱᓚᖓ.”

ᐊᖏᔪᒥ ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᕐᔪᐊᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐱᐅᓂᖅᐹᖑᔪᓂ ᕼᐋᑭᒥ ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒋᔭᖃᖅᑐᓂ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᓕᒫᒥ

ᐊᖏᕐᕋᖓᓂ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ.

Northern News Services

Nunavut takes home 51 uluit

Twelve golds, 15 silvers and 24 bronze medals at 2023 Arctic Winter Games

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services

Team Nunavut’s badminton, speed skating and wrestling athletes led the way for gold ulus in the 2023 Arctic Winter Games.

“I had tremendous fun,” said Mark Eetuk, youth ambassador for Nunavut, on the final day of the event. “Traded a lot of pins.”

His highlight from the week was watching the U19 men’s hockey team win gold.

Makayla Kaludjak, who attended for futsal, agreed, adding that she did her part cheering in the stands.

“People were even getting annoyed,” she laughed.

Iqaluit’s Akutaq Williamson Bathory earned three gold ulus alone for her work in the 500m, 77m and 1,500m short track speed skating races.

Meliya Allain earned a gold in speed skating as well in the junior girls category for 500m.

Lloyd Willie brought home gold in Dene games snow snake, while the U19 men’s hockey team won gold over Alaska, a first for the territory.

In badminton, Team Nunavut took home three golds, including one from Sanikiluaq’s Davidee Kudluarok in singles play.

Jonah Kunilusie earned two wrestling gold medals while Jusipi Dimitruk picked one of his own.

Nunavut’s table tennis contingent came home with 12 medals between them, while the Dene games squad earned eight. The junior boys hockey team earned bronze.

Kaludjak didn’t earn a medal with her futsal team, but she was happy to score a goal.

“That goal was for my dad,” she said. The Rankin Inlet youth is sad she’s aging out of the Games.

“I wish I was able to not grow out of Arctic Winter Games, because it’s so much fun,” she said. “I’m going to keep this memory for the rest of my life.

Jeff Seeteenak, assistant chef de mission for Team Nunavut, said there were many highlights for the territory at these Games.

“They’re ending with a bang for our team,” he said as luggage was dropped off for Team Nunavut’s charters home Saturday, Feb. 4. “I think overall things are going very well for Team Nunavut.”

He congratulated the men’s hockey for their gold medal,

along with badminton players and speed skaters raking in ulus of their own.

“This is their Games,” said Seeteenak about how Nunavummiut youth enjoyed the experience. “This is what they’re passionate about.”

And the next ones in Alaska are right around the corner, as the host organization plays catch-up after missing the 2020 and 2022 Games due to the pandemic.

“Kids and coaches, keep working hard and let’s go,” said Seeteenak.

Local Journalism Initiative

Fort McMurray

Mark Eetuk and Makayla Kaludjak both enjoyed the 2023 Arctic Winter Games, from the competitions to meeting new friends and trading pins. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo