Indigenous Science Night | Sport, Survival, Spirit | Mar 20 at TELUS Spark
MARCH 20, 2026 

Sport, Survival, Spirit 

Indigenous Science Night

WHAT

An evening of activities and teachings based on Ancestral scientific knowledges of survival through movement, connection, land, and community.

WHEN

March 20, 2026

5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

COST

Free for FNMI (no ID required).
Adults $10 • Children $5

Ticket reservations are recommended.

Get Tickets.

AGE

All ages welcome.

Indigenous Sport science has for thousands of years, encompassed Land, Spirit, Intuition, & Community for survival and relationality. 

Within this combination, games and activities have been created for survival, expanding relationships with Land, Animals, and Elements, all revolving around vast scientific teachings like arrow aerodynamics, sensory awareness within hunting, intuition and community and land relationships, and more. These skills translate into better understandings of mental health, land-based nutrition, and reconnecting with land and community through a diversity of sports and activities.

Due to the popularity of this event, ticket reservations are strongly recommended as capacity is limited.

Spins & Snow

Jump in with Dehcho Dene Olympic snowboarder Liam Gill of Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation as he breaks down tricks like the MacTwist and switch backside 900. Test your skills with “guess the gnarly trick,” explore rotation and air awareness on the trampoline, then go watch film Liam and Friends in the Infinity Dome.

Liam, Team Canada’s only male Indigenous athlete at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, is training for the 2030 Games and uses his platform to inspire Indigenous youth.

Hooves & Humans

Gallop over to hang out with the hairy and human stars of Old Sun Indian Relay Team. One of the OG extreme sports, Indian Relay is a bareback race that shows the athletics and teamwork of both humans and horses.

ACTIVITIES

  • Test Your Shot Speed

Slapshots & Intuition 

Come test out your slapshot speed against some experienced Native goalies and players. Reaction time, accuracy, and speed have been integral skills when thriving alongside the land. Even intuition, sensing where the puck is going to go based on past experiences, muscle memory, and senses beyond the objective, allow for heightened awareness with all that is around you.

To help pollinate & spread nutrients, hockey pucks can be traced back to animal feces, with Indigenous hockey players learn the evolution of pucks and the connection to Land.

  • Play Survival Games

Indigenous Games 

Elders, relatives & communities from across Turtle Island have created games not just for sport but to incorporate teachings of survival and connection for people of all ages. Come experience different traditional Indigenous games, from fish pull to high kick, snow snake to stick pull, to learn about the science of hunting, intuition, and teamwork.

Blackfoot games will be led by Jason Plain Eagle from Piikani. Arctic Games will be led by Peter Daniels.

  • Ethics & Hunting

Elk-aholics

Come learn about Elk hunting, and maybe try out a bow or elk bugle with CAMERON and DARYL KOOTENAY of the Iyarhe Nakoda Nation to learn more about the Indigenous pursuit of elk in the mountains. They will share their love for the physical, emotional, and spiritual pursuit of mountain elk.

You will learn about the basics of tactics, strategies, equipment, and the ethics of elk hunting.

  • Try to Skate

Cousins Skateboard 

What is the connection between skateboarding and Indigenous science? Although skateboarding was derived without direct connection to Indigenous science, a lot of Indigenous science is reflected within the sport. Join Cousins Skateboarding to learn about and experience balance, body/spirit, and community while trying out some boards at their mobile skate park.

  • walk with the land

Ancestor Walk

Join Heather Black, Buffalo Stone Woman, from
"Indige-Scapes," by the fire at the Spark Gathering Circle, and learn about the history of these lands.

Indige-Scapes symbolizes a changing tourism landscape, providing genuine, immersive experiences. They share stories of the ancestors and their connection to the land, animals, and each other. Their main message is understanding ancestral spirituality and the importanve of connection to the land and values of Respect, Love, Bravery, Honesty, Truth, Wisdom, and Humility. The ancestors have paved the way for future generations, and Indige-Scapes are excited to share this with visitors. Come experience these lands through the rich stories of the prairies, foothills, and Rockies where the ancestor still walk today.

  • Shoot An Arrow

Arrow Aerodynamics  

Have you ever wondered how bows and arrows seamlessly fly through the air, almost defying physics? Often silent and perfectly balanced, arrows embrace the aerodynamic knowledge of bird relatives through their design & feathers physics. You’ll get an opportunity to see how they were used traditionally and its impact on modern sports

  • Make A Powerbar

OG Power Bar Workshop

Need some energy to participate in all the land-based activities? Come make an OG power bar that sustained many Indigenous communities through long hunting trips or over a cold winter for thousands of years.

Pemmican is the original powerbar, often made from ground dried bison jerky mixed with bison fat and berries. The pectin from the berries and antifungal properties within the mint helped preserve the meat.

  • Dance & Balance

Movement, Dance, & Frequency 

Pow Wows, round dances, and ceremonies entangle ancient protocols and science told from the land and sky. Frequencies within seasonal changes alongside languages of grasses, birds, and bison have taught humans over thousands of years the importance of connection, movement, and rhythm.

Learn some pow wow moves and the meaning and depth of intention behind each beat, hop, and tap.

  • Test Your Intuition

Hand Games for Instinct & Perception 

This is not a “simple guessing or probability game,” but brings communities together to share knowledge, stories, and science.
Some say the game was learned from the animals or the Ancestors, and it builds important skills such as intuition and trust, focus through distraction, and teamwork and competition.

Come test your skills of perception and deception in a mini hand games tournament.

  • Practice mini slapshots

Mini Sticks 

Save your kokum’s basement drywall and some play some mini sticks at Spark! Whether to reminisce about your childhood or encourage your kids to get moving or practice their aim, grab a mini stick or two, and challenge your cousins to a game or two.

  • Catch a Fish

Hooks & Fishes 

Humans around the world have different preferences for food and utensils specific to our connections to land and culture...and guess what, so do fish!

Try out your hand, or should we say hook, at choosing a lure that reflects rivers, insects, water currents, and fish personality traits, to catch a fish in Spark’s mini Indigenous science pond!

Children's activity, but open to all ages.

  • Enjoy a Film

Mini Indigenous Sport & Game Film Festival 

"Fast Horse" visits the fascinating and little-known world of the dangerous and high-stakes game of Indian Relay.
"Liam and Friends". The story of Liam Gill, an Indigenous Olympic snowboarder from Calgary, as he carves a new path—this time as a mentor. Liam's youth empowerment program "Liam & Friends" lifts up an underserved community in the NWT.
"Basketball Warriors"

"Walking in Medicine"

"The Old Game La Crosse"

"The Red Path"

"Lake"

"Dugout Canoe"

"Aboriginality"

"Stories from Our Land. Volume 2"

"Mobilize"

  • Learn & Play

Rocks, Rings, & Connections

Come play some games led by The First Nations Health Consortium (FNHC).

This organization improves access to health, social, education and other services for First Nations and Inuit children throughout Alberta.

Our work is guided by a vision of continuity of care, enhanced service coordination and a focus on fulfilling First Nations and Inuit children and youth’s rights to services that meet their needs.

Featured Items

  • $18.50

BBQ Bison Burger

Re-energize after your rockin' Indigenous Science Night experiences with the taste of these Lands. Bison gifted themselves to humans for food, shelter, tools, and more.

  • $8.49

Pemmican Saskatoon Sundae

Pemmican is the OG powerbar, often made from ground dried bison jerky mixed with bison fat and berries. It kept people going over the winter and longer hunting trips. The pectin from the berries and antifungal properties within the mint helped preserve the meat.

Pemmican Ice Cream: Saskatoon Berry Compote, Chocolate Curls, Nootka Rose Sugar, Pemmican Bits

First Student Canada will be providing continuous shuttle services from the Calgary Zoo North Entrance to Spark Main Entrance and back from 4:50 PM to 10:20 PM.

For more information about the event, contact [email protected]

Commitment to Indigenous Programming

Spark is committed to being a science centre that is welcoming to and reflective of Indigenous Science and Community. Your support helps provide access to the science centre and its programs for Indigenous community members.

Donate to the Indigenous Education Fund