Practice
Towards a Skookum Surrey
That’s the gift that comes with doing this work. We all benefit. We all benefit when we learn about the practices of Indigenous people locally.
Health/Social Service Participant
Over the year since our first gathering, we connected, learned, and adjusted.
We gathered in circles, shared our hopes and fears, and explored the possibilities and limits of our journey. In June 2024, we found ourselves at Whey-ah-Wichen (Cates Park) in Tsleil-Waututh to begin our practice. Joining us to share their songs, legends, and teachings was Takaya Tours.
Trusting the Water, Trusting Each Other
June 2024
Whey-ah-Wichen/Cates Park – Tsleil-Waututh
Whey-Ah-Wichen is the ancestral name for what is also known as Cates Park. Whey-Ah-Wichen means “faces the wind” and has great importance to the Tsleil-Waututh people. On the Takaya Tours website, they explain Whey-Ah-Wichen “was used as a small village during the spring and summer months to hunt and gather the natural resources such as wild game, berries, flora, and fauna. Today the Tsleil-Waututh people use the park for cultural events, ceremonies, and to run one part of the Takaya Tours kayak operations.”
Takaya Tours translates to Wolf Tours and is an eco-tourism venture owned and operated by the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. They hosted us for an hour and a half paddle in two replica ocean-going canoes. The excursion was made accessible for Elders and people with mobility challenges.
Just the act of being in the canoe and learning and listening and hearing and having that experience, right? That was like that just was really moving for me, and it excited me to bring it to the team, so that’s something we’ll definitely be doing down the road, and for them to do within their own teams.
Health/Social Service Participant
Reflection Moment
Take a moment to reflect on the following questions.
When was the last time you felt connected to land and water? How has that connectedness shaped your sense of self?
As a health or social service provider, what does it look like to learn in a reciprocal way?
What ways have you been intentional about learning more about Indigenous ways of knowing and values when it comes to understanding community health?
As we learned to paddle together for the first time, Takaya Tour guides drummed and shared teachings from the land. We learned to trust each other and built the confidence necessary to get out on the water together.
What many of us also learned is we were capable of–and enjoyed–paddling.
I just love to be on the water. I absolutely feel at home when I’m in the canoe.
Skookum Participant
Paddling Together Towards a Skookum Surrey Team:
Lyana Patrick
Principal Investigator
Dawn Hoogeveen
Co-Investigator
Brian Egan
Research Manager
Sherry Williams
Community Liaison
Krystal Dumais
Community Research Associate
Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe
Research Assistant
Ilhan Abdullahi
PhD Student
Chiaxsten (Wes Nahanee)
Canoe Skipper
Ruby Marks
Elder Advisor
We would like to acknowledge people who contributed to the project in earlier stages or in other ways:
Devin Waugh
Research Staff
Dahlia Al-Ahmad
Videographer
Aspen Shima
Videographer
Marissa Nahanee
Graphic Artist
Stephanie Hall
Knowledge Mobilization Designer
Thank you to the following organizations for their support:
Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee
Fraser Health
(Aboriginal Health)
Surrey Indigenous Youth Advisory Committee
City of Surrey
Surrey School District
Travelling the River towards a Skookum Surrey draws on research supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
