NEW WESTMINSTER POLICE SERVICE
555 Columbia Street New Westminster, B.C. V3L 1B2 (604) 525-5411 FAX (604) 529-2401
www.nwpolice.org
Lorne Zapotichny, Chief Constable
To whom it concerns;
RE: The Penticton Indian Band Youth
I have been involved with Pulling Together and The Pulling Together Society for most of its life. I have been on The Board of Directors and co-hosted The Journey 2 years ago. There have been many new relationships developed and nurtured through these awesome experiences. Many lessons and teachings have been learned and shared along the way.
One of the most valuable of these relationships, is the one being nurtured with The Penticton Indian Band Youth. I have watched them grow from a group of shy somewhat withdrawn, unorganized young people into a highly organized, energetic, innovative, inspirational and very motivated community group. Pulling Together Journey 2009 is going to be very successful. It is going to be successful through and because of the partnerships forged with the people The Okanagan led by The Penticton Indian Band Youth.
Paddles Up
Cu su na Okanagan
All My Relations
Cst. Bruce Ballingall
New Westminster Police
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Canoe Journey Fundraiser
The Canoe group will be sitting in the Kwu Sukwna?qinx for 24 hours on Saturday the 20 at 2pm until Sunday the 21 at 2pm to raise money for their trip to Scottland. This event will take place on the river channel near the rez store
They will have donation boothes set up on saturday near the rez store and sunday at the gyro park and pib gatherings.
at the Aboriginal Day gatherings they will have T-shirts and Decals for sale along with the raffle and 50/50 tickets.
so please come out and support the cause...
They will have donation boothes set up on saturday near the rez store and sunday at the gyro park and pib gatherings.
at the Aboriginal Day gatherings they will have T-shirts and Decals for sale along with the raffle and 50/50 tickets.
so please come out and support the cause...
Sunday, June 7, 2009
True Leadership
A few days ago I was able to witness the finale of what can only be explained as the answer to my ancestors prayers. Although I was detained along the freeway in vanouver only moments away from the ferry terminals during the landing of the canoes, I and my best friend waited from 1:50ish until 8:40 to get on the ferry.
When we arrived, the sun was going down, the group was winding down and and I saw a glimpse into our past. I saw a gathering of nations, who formed a large circle, singing, laughing and dancing. I saw each group and memeber honored for their participation, their involvement and ther support! I saw my love, with a drum in his hand, singing, and dancing. I saw joy, i saw relief, i saw victory, i saw honor. i saw the sun dance as it went to bring light to another world. I saw pride, strength, unity, and friendship.
As a spectator, who arrived without the usual bang or grand entrance, i came in almost unnoticed. it is from this view that i felt the sudden wave of unexplainable emotion which overtook my body and its entirety. I saw our young people, being honored and treated with the respect they've earned, deserved and fought for. I saw a symbol of hope, for my people. I saw within this final day of song, dance ad celebration, that as long as these true leaders were around, our people have little cause for concern. Our songs were being sung, by the youth. our words were being spoken by our youth. our practices and protocols we being demonstrated by our youth. our people were represented in the strongest of lights, because of the will within our syilx paddlers.
This family reunion of paddlers, grounds crew, spectators, supporters and our ancestors had surpassed anything i have ever experienced in my life. i was actually speechless. me. i had nothing to say, i only watched the aurora of what was happening in front of me and felt the heavy burden of doubt be removed off my back. Every doubt I had about the direction our culture and livelihood was heading -disappreared. Every doubt i had about culture being replaced with economic opportunity and tokens and trinkets, vanished. because i saw it happen. i saw both my past and my future shining in front of me and i basked in all its glory.
As my presence became more apparent, and as i was introduced to the many people who were there i heard some of the most amazing stories of truimph. i heard stories of how our paddlers abilities were doubted because of their age, and then heard how they paddled up and down the toughest of waters numerous times, when the adult and more experienced crews barely made one run. I heard of moments of defeat and fear disappearing because of the voices of our youth which sang songs to the water as the paddles used the waves as a stick does a drum. I heard stories of how our young paddlers strength and endurance pushed the limits and boundaries of every other paddler on the water. I heard how the sudden bursts of energy, laughter and smiles ceased tension amongst the group as a whole. i heard about how much other paddle crews and spectators gained a higher sense of understanding the respect of who we are and what we do, by following the LEAD of our youth. I heard how the okanagan people 'KwuSukwnaqinx' were the at the centre of it all and how loved and respected our people were, because of these paddlers.
Yet, i heard no speeches from them about what they were doing, what they were going to do, how they were doing it or why. i never heard any of them say one word about the impact they have and have had on our people, our nation or our future.
Instead, they sang the songs they knew and the songs they created. they used our words in a way in which everyone knew what those words meant. Instead they created change.
This is what TRUE LEADERSHIP really is. this is what CHANGE really looks like. this is what our ancestors meant when they said the youth are the ones...who will bring it back!
Had I been there on time i would have watched the launch, welcomed them on shore, had supper with them, visited with my love, congratulated the youth and then i would have gone home on the last ferry and been home around 2am. I was exactly where i was supposed to be and arrived exactly when i was supposed to arrive.
Victoria Baptiste
When we arrived, the sun was going down, the group was winding down and and I saw a glimpse into our past. I saw a gathering of nations, who formed a large circle, singing, laughing and dancing. I saw each group and memeber honored for their participation, their involvement and ther support! I saw my love, with a drum in his hand, singing, and dancing. I saw joy, i saw relief, i saw victory, i saw honor. i saw the sun dance as it went to bring light to another world. I saw pride, strength, unity, and friendship.
As a spectator, who arrived without the usual bang or grand entrance, i came in almost unnoticed. it is from this view that i felt the sudden wave of unexplainable emotion which overtook my body and its entirety. I saw our young people, being honored and treated with the respect they've earned, deserved and fought for. I saw a symbol of hope, for my people. I saw within this final day of song, dance ad celebration, that as long as these true leaders were around, our people have little cause for concern. Our songs were being sung, by the youth. our words were being spoken by our youth. our practices and protocols we being demonstrated by our youth. our people were represented in the strongest of lights, because of the will within our syilx paddlers.
This family reunion of paddlers, grounds crew, spectators, supporters and our ancestors had surpassed anything i have ever experienced in my life. i was actually speechless. me. i had nothing to say, i only watched the aurora of what was happening in front of me and felt the heavy burden of doubt be removed off my back. Every doubt I had about the direction our culture and livelihood was heading -disappreared. Every doubt i had about culture being replaced with economic opportunity and tokens and trinkets, vanished. because i saw it happen. i saw both my past and my future shining in front of me and i basked in all its glory.
As my presence became more apparent, and as i was introduced to the many people who were there i heard some of the most amazing stories of truimph. i heard stories of how our paddlers abilities were doubted because of their age, and then heard how they paddled up and down the toughest of waters numerous times, when the adult and more experienced crews barely made one run. I heard of moments of defeat and fear disappearing because of the voices of our youth which sang songs to the water as the paddles used the waves as a stick does a drum. I heard stories of how our young paddlers strength and endurance pushed the limits and boundaries of every other paddler on the water. I heard how the sudden bursts of energy, laughter and smiles ceased tension amongst the group as a whole. i heard about how much other paddle crews and spectators gained a higher sense of understanding the respect of who we are and what we do, by following the LEAD of our youth. I heard how the okanagan people 'KwuSukwnaqinx' were the at the centre of it all and how loved and respected our people were, because of these paddlers.
Yet, i heard no speeches from them about what they were doing, what they were going to do, how they were doing it or why. i never heard any of them say one word about the impact they have and have had on our people, our nation or our future.
Instead, they sang the songs they knew and the songs they created. they used our words in a way in which everyone knew what those words meant. Instead they created change.
This is what TRUE LEADERSHIP really is. this is what CHANGE really looks like. this is what our ancestors meant when they said the youth are the ones...who will bring it back!
Had I been there on time i would have watched the launch, welcomed them on shore, had supper with them, visited with my love, congratulated the youth and then i would have gone home on the last ferry and been home around 2am. I was exactly where i was supposed to be and arrived exactly when i was supposed to arrive.
Victoria Baptiste
Support Shirts
The crew has some pretty nifty shirts on sale:
$20 a shirt shirt
$15 for elders
we only have a limited supply.
All proceeds go to our Scottland trip.
$20 a shirt shirt
$15 for elders
we only have a limited supply.
All proceeds go to our Scottland trip.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Timing
Timing
The spirit of the canoe the water smooth
in the heat of the sun we paddle as one .
The sprinkle of the water as it brushes
Our faces the canoe lifts and takes us to
Those beautiful places
Poem Written By KwuSukna?quinxs very own Betty Jean Kruger Cardenas.
Photo taken by ALfred John Snow, a community member and our safety boat driver.
Friday, May 1, 2009
To the KwuSuknaquinx Canoe Family
**Forward**
(This letter was intended for the KwuSukna?quinx canoe family, and was written by a group member as an exercise that all three skippers in training had to do)
As you all know my task as a skipper was to awknowledge all the people who have made a difference in my life. So this is to the group for everything thing you guys you do for our people.First of all I would like to thank all yall for just being yourselves because thats what makes this group so great. Each and everyone of you has something or a few things to offer to this world and im just so honored to call you guys my friends. Seriously though we sing, we canoe,we help out everyone and we okanagan(well most of us) and were are a Proud People. Secondly, I would like to thank yall for your sense of humor cause you and I both know we wouldnt have lasted that long with out it(justkiddin). I bet if people walked into our group they would laugh at how much we make fun of each other, haha. I also apreciate the fact that we are a unit, and with everything our group has gone through we are still able to set things aside and work on whats important. Im am so proud of you all and I'm very very greatful that you guys are in my life...
WHO WOULD THOUGHT A BUNCH OF REZ KIDS WOULD BE GOING TO FRIGGEN SCOTLAND... SERIOUSLY WERE A PRETTY DEADLY GROUP OF INDIANS...
sorry if i missed anyone show them please or tell me and ill send it to them personally
With much Love
Jolene Michel
(This letter was intended for the KwuSukna?quinx canoe family, and was written by a group member as an exercise that all three skippers in training had to do)
As you all know my task as a skipper was to awknowledge all the people who have made a difference in my life. So this is to the group for everything thing you guys you do for our people.First of all I would like to thank all yall for just being yourselves because thats what makes this group so great. Each and everyone of you has something or a few things to offer to this world and im just so honored to call you guys my friends. Seriously though we sing, we canoe,we help out everyone and we okanagan(well most of us) and were are a Proud People. Secondly, I would like to thank yall for your sense of humor cause you and I both know we wouldnt have lasted that long with out it(justkiddin). I bet if people walked into our group they would laugh at how much we make fun of each other, haha. I also apreciate the fact that we are a unit, and with everything our group has gone through we are still able to set things aside and work on whats important. Im am so proud of you all and I'm very very greatful that you guys are in my life...
WHO WOULD THOUGHT A BUNCH OF REZ KIDS WOULD BE GOING TO FRIGGEN SCOTLAND... SERIOUSLY WERE A PRETTY DEADLY GROUP OF INDIANS...
sorry if i missed anyone show them please or tell me and ill send it to them personally
With much Love
Jolene Michel
Friday, April 24, 2009
Drumming/Singing
Drumming/Singing at 5:00 pm on Sunday at the P.I.B youth center with the KwuSukna?quinx canoe family! Everyone is welcome to join us! Hope to see you there!
**bring your drums, rattles, ect**
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