Aboriginal Liaison Officer Kelsey Charlie, who works at Kwìkwèxwelhp Healing Village in Harrison Mills, attended the 2017 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) in Toronto from July 16-23 as coach to the Under-19 boys soccer team representing #TeamBC. The best part? They came home with the gold medal! We are very proud of the commitment Kelsey provided to his team, and Kelsey is very proud of them.
“The team is really strong and proud of who they are and where they come from,” he says.
The team, made up of 18 players mostly from the lower mainland, includes his youngest son Keegan Charlie, the team captain, and his eldest son, the assistant coach.
The Games provide Indigenous youth, aged 13-19, an opportunity to showcase their athletic abilities and celebrate their heritage through numerous cultural events. Participating teams came from all 13 provinces and territories of Canada, as well as 13 regions from the United States. This was the 10th Games and was the first time in over 25 years that it was held in eastern Canada. With more than 5,000 participants and 2,000 volunteers, it was the largest sporting and cultural gathering of Indigenous Peoples in North America. Congratulations to Kelsey and his team on a job well done!
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