Every year our Xeni Gwet’in Youth and Elders travel to the Williams Lake Stampede and this trip this year we had 26 horseback riders and 5 wagons, the ride takes 8 days and requires camping, food preparation, caring for horses and assisting fellow participants. This trip is an Historical ride in honour of our ancestors who travelled by horse and wagon to the Williams Lake area for the stampede and at other time to trade with neighboring communities.
Things we gain on this trip:
1. Leadership, required by older or more experience youth caring for, leading and assisting younger youth with horsemanship skills.
2. Team building, learning to plan, organize and manage a large expedition with camping, hunting, food gathering, care for horses and work together at all times.
3. Mentorship, occurred by living this experience with healthy, traditional adult role models.
4. Cultural experience, we have our elder’s teaching and telling stories about the times they rode to Williams Lake on horses or wagons. This overall experience builds strength, team work, leadership and cultural exposure while having fun, being active and having the greatest outdoor adventure.
The more people we connect with brings back the traditional skills, provide healthier alternative activities and friends. We believe the traditional wagon ride is a program that builds a healthy social network and it reconnects our youth and elders to the land and traditions. The Xeni Gwet’in believe in this program, we have a volunteer committee that plans this event and have been fundraising since 2011 to help with cost.
Thank you to all our sponsor’s and First Nations Health Authority for donating water bottles to your youth and elder’s. We made good use of them and try to limit the amount of plastic bottles laying around in the world.
Sechanelyagh!
