The first World Indigenous Games (I-Games 2015, Jogos Mundiais dos Povos Indígenas) is a multisport event with over 2,000 participating indigenous athletes from 30 countries that will be taking place in Palmas, Brazil.

Inspired by the slogan, “Em 2015, somos todos indígenas” (In 2015, we are all indigenous), Palmas, the capital of Tocantins state, is preparing itself to receive dozens of delegations of indigenous peoples from every corner of the earth.

As well as peoples from all the Americas, delegations will be arriving from Australia, Japan, Norway, Russia, China and the Philippines. From Brazil alone, 24 indigenous ethnicities will be taking part.

Participants will compete in a variety of sporting events, ranging from a few western-style competitions (football, athletics) to many indigenous traditional games.

Some will be played competitively such as canoeing, archery and Corrida de Tora, but there will be a huge number of non-competitive demonstration events in which indigenous peoples have chosen to showcase their living heritage of games. A good example is xikunahity, a football-style game in which the ball is controlled only with the head.

This will run parallel to a comprehensive programme of discourse and celebration of culture, which includes the latest Indigenous People’s Social Forum, activities for indigenous women, lecture series and fairs.

Most events will be led by the indigenous peoples themselves and together we will create a festival that brings together the diversity represented in the games, culture from the Tocantins region and from the world.