Could the next Olympics have a Team Indigenous? 2 chiefs think so

Two chiefs from Canada were in Pyeongchang, South Korea, last week to speak to Olympic officials about the possibility of entering a team of Indigenous North American athletes at futuregames.

• Meet Brigette Lacquette, the 1st First Nations woman on Canada's Olympic hockey team

NationalDeneChief BillErasmusand Grand Chief WillieLittlechildof the Confederacy of Treaty 6 Nationsmet with the Canadian Olympic Committee, and with Thomas Bach, chairman of the International Olympic Committee, on their visit.

"It's really quite exciting," saidErasmus.

"[Bach] was very receptive to all of our ideas and we're continuing a discussion with them."

Littlechild, fromMaskwacisin central Alberta, has been involved with the North American Indigenous Games and the World Indigenous Games.Erasmusis envisioning a Team Indigenous made up of Indigenous athletes from across Canada and the U.S.

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"It's more to have our own representation at the Olympics as a nation of people," he said.

"It's been accepted that we can represent ourselves as Indigenous peoples. We don't necessarily have to be there to represent a country called Canada or the United States."

Erasmus pointed to several Indigenous athletes who are competing in this year's Olympics, including Kevin Koe, the skip of Canada's men's curling team who is Gwich'in from the N.W.T., and women's hockey player Brigitte Lacquette, a member of the Cote First Nation in Saskatchewan.

He said if Team Indigenous went ahead, athletes like them could choose to be on that team or represent their country.

• Meet Canada's Indigenous Olympians

With Calgary considering putting in a bid for the 2026Winter Olympic Games, Erasmussaid the Olympic committee could also consider adding new sports, like traditional Dene or Inuit games. He usedthe Alaskan high kick as an example.

Erasmus and Littlechild were able to take in some of the action at the games last week, getting photos with members of Team Canada.

While Erasmus is back in Canada, Littlechild is staying on in South Korea to continue discussions of entering a Team Indigenous at future Paralympics. Those games start on March 8.