The SunUte Recreation Department is hosting an informational meeting as a kickoff event, bringing athletes together for Tri-Ute Games and the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG). The meeting will provide all relevant information for Tri-Ute 2019 and NAIG 2020. The event will take place at the Southern Ute Multi-Purpose Facility, Wednesday, April 3, at 6 p.m. — dinner will be provided.

“We want to have a presence at NAIG,” SunUte Director Robin Duffy-Wirth emphasized. “In order to do that, we need to get them ready — a year of preparation is our goal.”

Athletes, coaches, and parents of athletes are all highly encouraged to attend the dinner. The meeting is open to tribal members, first descendants and other Native Americans. Having athletes and coaches committed to the upcoming games is instrumental to the program’s success, and this meeting will set the groundwork for those teams to compete.

Team Colorado is comprised of Native Americans living in Colorado. The youth train together and travel together, representing Colorado in the North American Indigenous Games every two years. “We are also supporting other Native Americans,” SunUte Recreation Manger Virgil Morgan said. We want to get the athletes signed up, get them working with one another and training together — this is our goal towards having the best and most competitive team possible, he explained.

Halifax, Nova Scotia will set the stage for the upcoming North American Indigenous Games, bringing athletes together from across North America.

The 2019 Tri-Ute games will be hosted by the Ute Indian Tribe this summer in Fort Duchesne, Utah, July 16-20.