Joy Drop: NAIG and all their wonder is just around the corner

Hi, all! We are heading straight into summer and there are tremendous events happening all over Canada. 

The North American Indigenous Games will be held July 15-23 in Mi'kmaq territory (Nova Scotia). More than 5,000 athletes will compete and their stories are incredible and important to highlight.

"The importance of the games is that it brings the people, our culture, athletes, volunteers and many more together," says Kacey Young, a paddler from Manitoba explains why sport is crucial in Indigenous communities.

Sports plus community creating joy is my favourite thing so I love all of it and will be looking forward to hearing of the NAIG.

Another good story about water is one that I found in The Narwhal — a brilliant Canadian publication about climate and nature. Perry King wrote a story about Jacky Beckfrord Henriques, an Olympic coach, who is teaching Black, Indigenous and women of colour how to swim.

Henriques, the former coach of Jamaica's swim team, is now head coach at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. Using her skill and expertise to provide a lifesaving skill to the wider community free of charge with volunteer swim teachers from the university is incredible. The piece details why swimming was not always accessible to racialized people and that this skill is important for everyone to have. 

Canadians love to swim, but not everyone learns how. By teaching Black and other racialized people to swim for free, Jacky Beckford Henriques and her team are taking on a historic Canadian inequity, <a href="https://twitter.com/kngprry?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kngprry</a> writes. <a href="https://t.co/khUf3eH2gq">https://t.co/khUf3eH2gq</a>

Because the world needs more happiness, here is an adorable video of a young boy being