The City of Kamloops, in conjunction with Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc, announced on Friday that Kamloops has been selected by the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (ISPARC) to serve as BC's official host candidate community for the 2027 North American Indigenous Games.
"We are extremely proud and excited to be selected to represent BC as we compete against western provinces and territories to host the 2027 North American Indigenous Games," said Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir.
"This is a historic opportunity for our people and our Nation, to host Indigenous athletes from across North America, and to showcase our beautiful land and Secwépemc culture.”
The North American Indigenous Games is the largest international and multi-sport event for Indigenous youth in North America. If Kamloops' bid is successful, up to 6,000 athletes, coaches, team staff and cultural performers from over 756 Indigenous Nations would be welcomed into the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc's community.
Mayor of Kamloops Reid Hamer-Jackson stated that the opportunity to host the games would "continue to expand on our long-standing relationship with Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc and other surrounding Indigenous communities."
The next step in the bid process will be a competition within western Canada. The games council utilizes a scoring system that assists the bid committee with awarding the games to the best prepared and qualified host candidate city.
The right to host the 2027 event will be awarded to the city that has the highest overall score of their bid book, site evaluation tour and final in-person presentation. The winner will be selected in June, 2023.
The North American Indigenous Games are held every four years and use a geographic rotation when choosing the next location. The 2023 event will be in Halifax, NS while the next opportunity for the western region to host (after 2027) is 2039.
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