When the Vancouver Olympics opens, all things "Olympic" will be revealed by the Vancouver organizing committee. Every two years, the host city unveils the Olympic mascots and emblem which they have decided reflects their city and country. Usually the decision is made when contests and proposals are submitted by the thousands.

The Vancouver Olympics features not just one but three Olympic Mascots. These mascots represent the Four First Nations, the tribes who originally inhabited the Vancouver area. Their names are Miga, Sumi and Quatchi and they represent anyone who has had a dream of participating in the Olympics.

Legends abound in the British Columbia regions and the mascots represent those legends. The creation of Miga came from the rare, beautiful, small Kermode bear (called a "Spirit Bear") only found in British Columbia and a killer whale. The many stories of Orca whales transforming into bears was a perfect mascot to represent the First Nations. Miga, the little sea bear, represents the tribes who were protectors of the sea. Miga LOVES snowboarding!

The mountains of British Columbia are represented by Sumi. The beliefs of those First Nations' often reflected a theme of transformation and how the spirits, animals and human, connected for the transformations. Sumi represents a powerful animal spirit who is a protector, not only of the animals but also the land and sea. His spirit is a combination of the thunderbird, the black bear and the orca whale…all revered creatures of the area.

The third mascot is more familiar since most have heard of Sasquatch or Big Foot. Legend has it that Sasquatch is a mysterious creature that roams the Canadian forests. Sasquatch has been a local legend of the Pacific West Coast for years so the third mascot is Quatchi, the shy one. Quatchi will be everywhere but he does love hockey and wants to observe the best so that he can fulfill his Olympic dream. He can't wait to meet new friends.

These three "protectors of the nature" around Vancouver personalize some of the legends of the history and culture of Vancouver. The Four Host First Nations are a big part of these Olympics and Miga, Sumi and Quatchi will be everywhere.

The emblem of the Vancouver Olympics represents another Arctic tribe…the Inuits and the stylized emblem is called an Inukshuk, although more than one is Inuksuit.

An Inukshuk is a carefully balanced pile of worked rocks and slabs and it represents safety, hope and friendship. The Inuits have built them through time to guide travelers, assist with hunts, warn of danger or indicate caches of food.

In the Inuit culture, Inuksuit played a key role for the nomadic people in the frozen, unforgiving climate of northern Canada and were built to withstand winds of 90 MPH.

In his book, Norman Hallendy describes them as "symbols of survival and many who travel in the Arctic say they are never scared because they know that Inuit have lived there before for many thousands of years and have survived from hunting and fishing." Hallendy calls them "Silent Messengers of the Arctic".

The markers have served a multitude of roles. They've been a serious part of their life support system. Some were reminders of a dangerous place while others pointed to the safest and easiest ways to get home.

The emblem of these Vancouver Games is a contemporary interpretation of the stone landmark. It looks like a colorful humanoid with arms spread wide, and sits atop the Olympic Rings. It will appear on all licensed merchandise and is sure to generate curiosity once the Games are underway.

These three mascots and the Inukshuk emblem are modern reminders of a 3000 year history and are fitting and delightful selections to welcome the world to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics