Spirit North in Burns Lake has been actively conducting ski programs at schools and within communities.

“Our winter season has been full of fun ski programs. Spirit North coach, Chris Paulson, has dedicated many hours with his snowmobile and homemade groomer to packing and moulding terrain ski parks at each elementary school encouraging classes to get out and active any time of the week,” said Rachelle van Zanten, the Community Program Director for the Burns Lake area for Spirit North.

Paulson has been grading the trails and ball fields with a grader blade and snowcomb. Van Zanten believes that having no set ski track has encouraged more users while taking away the fear and worry around track conditions.

“It has been great to utilize the land right around the Woyenne community, Morris Williams Elementary, and William Konkin Elementary, creating outside opportunity for everyone,” she said.

Van Zanten and Paulson have also gotten around to the Southside to ski with the children at Grassy Plains Elementary. The school, which is conveniently located right next to forest trail networks makes skiing and snowshoeing a perfect winter activity, said van Zanten.

They have also built a ski park at Decker Lake Elementary and got the Wet’suwet’en youth “shredding on their skinny skis along with their peers.”

“Spirit North has been evolving to facilitate or provide opportunity for First Nations to be included in non First Nations programs and as an unexpected bonus non First Nations students have had the opportunity to experience First Nations culture in a very positive way,” said Paulson.

According to Paulson, to be non-prejudiced about what sport we are participating in has opened up a joyous fluid, resilient immersion into the natural environment.

“What is even more remarkable however, is how a multi-sport approach has signalled an across cultural awareness of how important it is to deconstruct the dogmatic structures of prejudice and inequality based on false assumptions of race, gender and culture,” he said pointing to the benefits of the Spirit North program.

Last year during summer, van Zanten was seen teaching Indigenous kids to canoe and paddle board. She led the training courses for students at Morris Williams Elementary School and Woyenne Youth Centre on Lake Babine First Nation, and at the Wet’suwet’en First Nation.

“As the seasons transition, we are excited to get into other sports that connect the Indigenous youth to the land such as mountain biking, archery, and paddling,” she said.

Spirit North’s encouragement for embracing sports for the Indigenous youth gives Paulson the hope that sports would pave the way to boost confidence for the Indigenous youth to easily mix with the non-Indigenous and vice verse.

“I think that Burns Lake is in a unique position to show the world how a small resource based town can rise above the injustices of history in a non violent, peaceful joyful way. Sport inclusion has this power to liberate and bring people together!” he said.

Priyanka Ketkar
Multimedia journalist
@PriyankaKetkar

priyanka.ketkar@ldnews.net

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Burns Lake Lakes District News

 

Naomi Sampson - Wetsuwet'en. (Submitted/Lakes District News)

Trista and Sloan from Morris Williams Elementary/Lake Babine Nation. (Submitted/Lakes District News)

Mackenzie Macdonald at the after school program- Skin Tyee Nation. (Submitted/Lakes District News)

Kindergarten youth at Morris Williams Elementary - Lake Babine Nation. (Submitted/Lakes District News)

Kids from Grassy Plains Elementary coming to Omineca Ski Club. (Submitted/Lakes District News)

Kikkan skiing with Decker Lake Elementary's kindergarten class. (Submitted/Lakes District News)