Miga, Quatchi, Sumi and Mukmuk Facts for Kids

Miga and Quatchi were the official mascots for the 2010 Winter Olympics, and Sumi was the official mascot for the 2010 Winter Paralympics. Their special friend, Mukmuk, was a "sidekick" for both big events. These games happened in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

All four mascots were first shown to the public on November 27, 2007. They were created by a design company called Meomi Design, which has Canadian and American artists. It was a special moment because it was the first time that the mascots for both the Olympics and Paralympics were introduced together.

Quick facts for kids Miga, Quatchi, Sumi and Mukmuk
From left to right, Sumi, the mascot of the Paralympics, Quatchi and Miga, the mascots of the Olympics, and Mukmuk, the "sidekick" for both games
Mascots of the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Paralympics (Vancouver)
Creator	Meomi Design

How the Mascots Were Created
Meet the Mascots
What Happened After the Games
See also

How the Mascots Were Created

The symbol for the 2010 Winter Olympics was an "Inukshuk" named Ilanaaq. An Inukshuk is a stone landmark built by the Inuit people. This symbol was chosen through a public contest. However, some Indigenous groups felt the design wasn't quite right. Because of this, the artists for the mascots were chosen through a special competition.

Many artists from all over the world sent in their ideas – 177 in total! Five ideas were chosen as finalists. In December 2006, the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) picked the ideas from Meomi Design. Meomi was started in 2002 by Vicki Wong, a Canadian artist from Vancouver, and Michael Murphy, an American designer.

After being chosen, Meomi Design came up with more than 20 different ideas for the mascots. Three of these ideas were picked. The mascots were inspired by animals and creatures from local First Nations legends and stories. During the design process, one early name for Quatchi had to be changed because it meant something rude in another language!

The mascots were kept a secret until November 27, 2007, when they were finally shown to everyone. An animated video, with music by Kid Koala, was played at their first public showing.

Meet the Mascots

The mascots were first shown to 800 schoolchildren at the Bell Centre For Performing Arts in Surrey, British Columbia. This was the first time that the mascots for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games were introduced at the same time.

Name	Miga	Quatchi	Sumi	Mukmuk
Gender	Female	Male	Male	Male
Representing Four Host Nation	Musqueam Indian Band	Lil'wat First Nation	Squamish Nation	Tsleil-Waututh First Nation
Hometown	Off the coast of Vancouver Island	Canada's Mysterious Forest	Whistler	Vancouver Island's sub-alpine meadows
Cultural inspiration	Killer whale, Kermode bear, sea bear.	Sasquatch.	Thunderbird, American black bear, Haida art.	Vancouver Island marmot
Non-sport hobbies	Anything fun and exciting	Photography and travel	Flying	Making friends, burrowing and eating
Personality	Fun, exciteful	Full of passion, mysterious	Brave, independent	Healthy, friendly
Represented Element	Sea	Forest	Sky	Earth
Actual Classical Element	Water	Earth	Air	Fire
Season	Winter	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Cardinal direction	East	South	North	West
Colour	Forest green	Chill blue	Fern green	Berry orange
Represented city	Vancouver	West Vancouver	Whistler	Richmond
Associated food	Salmon (BC roll, smoked salmon and salmon jerky)	Regional cuisine	Hot chocolate	Berries, flowers and fern
Dream	To land a corked 720 in the half-pipe	To become a world-famous goalie	To share his first and mountain home with the world	To tell the world about his fellow island marmots
Represented sport	Snowboarding	Ice hockey	Paralympic alpine skiing	Any other winter sport in the Olympics and Paralympics
Notes	Miga is a mythical sea bear, part killer whale and part Kermode bear. She lives off the coast of Vancouver Island. She loves surfing in the summer and snowboarding in the winter. The idea of a sea bear comes from legends of the Pacific Northwest First Nations, which tell of orca whales that can turn into bears on land. The Kermode bear is a rare white bear found only in British Columbia. Legends say these "Spirit Bears" were turned white by Raven to remind people of the Ice Age. Orcas are also important in West Coast First Nations art and stories, seen as travelers and guardians of the sea.	Quatchi is a sasquatch from the mysterious forests of Canada. He wears blue earmuffs and dreams of being a famous hockey goalie. He loves to travel and learn about different dances and foods. He always carries his camera. His name comes from "sasquatch," which comes from the Halkomelem word sásq’ets. The sasquatch is a popular figure in local native legends of the Pacific West Coast. The sasquatch reminds people of the mystery and wonder in nature.	Sumi is an animal guardian spirit with the wings of a Thunderbird and the legs of an American black bear. He wears a hat that looks like a killer whale in the style of Northwest Coast art by the Haida people. He lives in the mountains of British Columbia and cares deeply about the environment. His name comes from the Salish word "sumesh," meaning "guardian spirit." His favorite sport is alpine skiing in a monoski. Changing forms is a common idea in West Coast First Nations art and legends. This shows the connection between humans, animals, and the spirit world. Animals like the orca, bear, and thunderbird are shown changing forms in masks and totems. The orca is a traveler and guardian of the sea. The bear often means strength and friendship. The thunderbird, which makes thunder by flapping its wings, is one of the most powerful spirit creatures.	Mukmuk is a Vancouver Island marmot, described as "small and friendly." He is the mascots' "sidekick" and loves to eat a lot. His name comes from the Chinuk Wawa word "muckamuck," meaning "food" or "to eat." The Vancouver Island marmot is a very rare and endangered animal found only in the mountains of Vancouver Island.

Miga and Quatchi were the main mascots for the 2010 Winter Olympics, while Sumi was the mascot for the 2010 Winter Paralympics. Mukmuk was their special "sidekick." So, there were two Olympic mascots, one Paralympic mascot, and one sidekick. They even appeared in the video game Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.

What Happened After the Games

After the games ended, most of the life-sized mascot costumes were taken apart. This is because the International Olympic Committee has strict rules that mascots cannot be used again or animated after the event. Out of 61 costumes, 48 were taken apart. Three full sets of costumes are kept in Canada. One full set went to the IOC in Switzerland, and one Sumi costume went to the International Paralympic Committee in Germany.

Miga, Quatchi, Sumi and Mukmuk facts for kids

Contents

How the Mascots Were Created

Meet the Mascots

What Happened After the Games

See also