Tribal Journey 2015

This year’s Tribal Journey took the Kw’umut Lelum Canoe Family to Willingdon Beach at Powell River. The family of 35 people journeyed from July 8th to July 20th with eight stops along the way. Seventeen youth from across Kw’umut Lelum’s nine nation members were a part of the canoe family. The rest of the family composed of the Mendez Family and Camille Soer as cooks, Elder’s George Seymour and Betsy Bob, cultural support by Patrick Aleck, Arnie Robinson as support boat captain, canoe Skipper Steven Recalma, RCMP representative Tamara Graham, School district representative Leila Lattimer, Aboriginal youth and child mental health clinician Paul Wright and Britta Peterson and Brittany Cushion from Kw’umut Lelum. We want to extend a thank you to all of those who took time off to volunteer for the journey and make the journey with our youth. Our stops along the way included Qualicum First nation, Benman Island, Komox Fist nation, Hamalco First Nation (Campbell River), Wei Wei Wai Kum First Nation, Cape Mudge, Klahoose First Nation, Squirrel Cove Tla’amin First Nation with final protocol at Willingdon Beach in Powell River. Though the journey was much shorter than last year it proved to be very healing for our youth and the adults involved. Many friendships were forged and relationships strengthened along the way. Each evening ended with a circle to allow everyone to express how their day had gone and how they were feeling. New songs were learned along the way during our protocol with the other canoe families who journeyed with us. Our final protocol in Willingdon Beach saw all the youth participate in the singing and dancing. It was during that protocol that our youth honoured their Leader, Britta Peterson, by blanketing her in the middle of protocol. Many of the youth stepped forward to share how she had brought their culture to them and given them the chance to experience it.