Incredible pictures from the first World Indigenous Games held in Brazil

• The first World Indigenous Games were held in Brazil in 2015.
• indigenous people from many countries participated in tradition games, including Ethiopia, the US, Canada, New Zealand, and dozens of tribes from Brazil.
• Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

In 2015, Brazil hosted the first-ever World Indigenous Games in the city of Palmas.

The World Indigenous Games – aka the Indigenous Olympics – is like other Olympic games, with a variety of sports, opening and closing ceremonies, and participants from all over the world.

Photographers for the Associated Press, Getty, and Reuters captured the games with some incredible images. Here are some of those pictures:

Members of the various groups dance during the opening ceremony.

Dozens of tribes from Brazil participated in the games.

As well as indigenous people from several other countries, including Ethiopia, the US, and Canada, the home of this dancer.

The Maori from New Zealand were also represented.

Fans watch as the participants march during the opening ceremony.

Another Maori man during the opening ceremony.

Traditional clothing and headdresses were a big part of the beauty of the games.

A member of Brazil’s Canela tribe participates in a spear-throwing competition.

A participant from Mexico plays a hockey-like game called La Batalla.

A fireball certainly ups the ante in a sport.

There was also a tug-of-war competition.

Here are members of the Brazilian Bororo people.

The first Indigenous Olympics also included archery.

A member of the Matis people participates in a dart-shooting competition.

Another member of the Bororo tribe.

One participant practices for a canoeing event.

Embara indigenous men from Panama, front, won a canoeing event.

There was a Jikunahati competition, described as a type of soccer using your head.

This looks like a form of dodgeball, but using safety arrows.

Spectators watch a soccer match during the World Indigenous Games.

On the field, it was a mixture of traditional dress and clothing we are more used to seeing on a soccer pitch.

Here is another ball game with both male and female participants.

Another Brazilian indigenous man participates in the tug-of-war competition.

The games wrapped up with an archery competition.

A member of the Pataxo people of Brazil attends the games.

Like all Olympics, the games concluded with a closing ceremony.

Members of the Tapirape people watch the closing ceremony.

Fireworks marked the end of the games.

In 2017, the second games were held on the Treaty Six Territory in Alberta, Canada.

The celebration of indigenous athletes was renamed, “World Indigenous Nations Games.”

Now check out the awkward photos that the PGA’s Shanghai tournament always produces.

The PGA’s Shanghai tournament always produces golf’s most amazing and awkward pictures