What began with a great deal of excitement in 2023 for Calgary’s winning bid to host the 2027 North American Indigenous Games has now come to an end.
The North American Indigenous Games Council (NAIGC) has withdrawn the hosting rights for the Calgary games, stating that the decision was not granted lightly.
Had the games gone ahead, it would have been the first time in nearly four decades that the games were held in Alberta.
In a media statement issued Friday, NAIGC said that the council had worked closely with the Calgary games host society to deliver a successful games, but that benchmarks could not be met.
“Over the past two years, NAIG Council has worked closely with the Host Society to support their efforts—providing guidance, capacity building support, resources, and external expertise to assist with planning and budgeting processes required to deliver a successful Games. Despite the collective efforts of many, it became increasingly clear that critical benchmarks could not be met,” said the NAIGC, in the media release.
“We extend our sincere appreciation to all those who contributed to the Calgary 2027 initiative, particularly Dr. Chief Littlechild, who has served as Chair of the Host Society Board since March. Their dedication and commitment to the vision of NAIG have been deeply valued.”
The 2027 hosting society said on Aug. 16 in a response statement sent to the media that they acknowledged that the hosting rights had been withdrawn and that the decision to do so was deeply disappointing.
“The North American Indigenous Games were founded to be Indigenous-led and Indigenous-driven. That principle has been lost in this process. While this decision is a setback, it is not the end. We will move forward with a new vision that stays true to our values, guided by the spirit of sport, culture, and reconciliation,” said Chair Dr. Wilton Littlechild.
In its statement, the 2027 Host Society said that there had been ongoing challenges that undermined the ability to host the Indigenous games, as they had originally been promised in the bid.
They said that an official agreement between the society and the NAIGC had not been agreed upon, due to what they said was shifting requirements and unreasonable demands.
Additionally, the hosting society said that Tourism Calgary had withheld committed funding from the City of Calgary, leaving the society without the resources to plan and deliver the games.
Tourism Calgary said that the statement from the society was inaccurate.
“As stewards of public funds, Tourism Calgary invests in events and organizations that demonstrate strong leadership, operational capability, good governance, transparency, and the capacity to deliver financially viable outcomes,” said Tourism Calgary.
“Once the bid was won, planning and oversight for the 2027 NAIG moved to an independent host society. Unfortunately, the 2027 host society did not meet key milestones and conditions set by NAIG Council and funding partners. Given the challenges that emerged throughout the planning process, we support the NAIG Council and its difficult decision to withdraw the 2027 Games from Calgary.”
Tourism Calgary said that while it was not the outcome that they had hoped for, they still believed in the vision of the North American Indigenous Games, and that they thanked the NAIGC for their long-term interest in the event and athletes.
“Tourism Calgary remains committed to working with Indigenous partners and communities to attract meaningful, inclusive, and well-executed events in our city,” they said.
As of Aug. 18, the website for the 2027 North American Indigenous Games website had been set to private access only.
