Local Nuxalkmc basketball player Trinity Mack took the trip of a lifetime this year after being selected to play for Team BC at the North American Indigenous Games.
The North American Indigenous Games are a multi-sport, multi-disciplinary event involving Indigenous youth from Canada and the United States. The Games offer 14 sport competitions in addition to a vibrant cultural program, showcasing local and North American indigenous cultural groups and entertainers.
The NAIG, was first held in 1990 in Edmonton, Alberta, and has been staged on seven other occasions since then, in various locations throughout Canada and the United States.
Athletes competing in the NAIG must be born of North American Indigenous ancestry. All contingents participating in the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) must represent the Indigenous Peoples of a Province/Territory in Canada, or a State/Region in the United States of America.
Mack beat out over 140 indigenous girls vying for a spot on Team BC. Only 12 spots were available, and Mack was named starting centre for the Wester region and BC girls aged 14 and under. She went on to play over 13 other teams from across Canada and the U.S.
With the unrelenting support of her family, Mack fundraised to afford the three grueling phases of tryouts (two in Kamloops and one in Kelowna) and the final fees required to get to Toronto with her family from July 16 - 23.
Team BC proved hard to beat, playing all the way to the finals against Wisconsin after beating Ontario. Mack and her team won silver, and Team BC won the overall team title after competing in 13 sports and winning a total of 176 medals over the course of the competition week. These included: 65 gold, 57 silver, and 54 bronze.
Other members of the Nuxalk Nation included Tamika Tallio, who resides in Kamloops, and Marlon Edgar, who also made Team BC for their age groups.