Screen still from “Dirt Relations” via the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival.

Image Credit: Screenshot via YouTube

For Simpcw First Nation member Tom Eustache, mountain biking has been a way for his family to connect to the land.

He taught his children to ride bikes and envisioned building a network of trails around his First Nation’s main village, Chu Chua, located north of Tk?emlúps (Kamloops).

With the Indigenous Youth Mountain Bike Program (IYMBP), Eustache has seen this goal become a reality.

“I hope other people can feel that connection when they get out there,” said Eustache, who is a director of the IYMBP.

Over the past decade, the IYMBP has blazed trails in various Indigenous communities across the province. The compelling narrative of this journey is captured in the recent documentary “Dirt Relations.”

“Dirt Relations” unfolds through exhilarating biking sequences, glimpses of community participation, and candid interviews, revealing a narrative of solidarity and teamwork with Indigenous communities to develop these new trail networks.

Eustache’s partnership with the IYMBP began as he invited founder Patrick Lucas and program partner Thomas Schoen to Chu Chua to help create the trail networks in the community.

‘It reinvented the person I was turning into’

Screen still from “Dirt Relations” via the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival.

Image Credit: Screenshot via YouTube

The IYMBP comprises bicyclists, trail architects, community activists and more, all united in their dedication to working collectively to build trails.

The film documents Eustache’s efforts to create a safe area where his community can engage in physical activity and his partnerships with Lucas, Schoen, and the burgeoning IYMBP team.

In one scene, a group is busy making new trails — which include multiple jumps — as people of all ages come out to lend a hand. They work together to help build and create a new activity for everyone to enjoy, and the smiles on the children’s faces illuminate the screen.

Eustache advised his cousin Jules Philip to engage in trail work within their community after encountering challenges with his band. Philip now attributes his improved mental and spiritual health to the solitude of tending to the trails.

“It reinvented the person I was turning into,” Jules said in the documentary.

“I related a lot of what I did to what Mother Earth is and how and why she provides what she does and how we use it today.”

Lucas grew the program through perseverance as he travelled throughout “B.C.” to inform communities of the possibilities that trails and bike riding could have for the people. Soon, he met Schoen, now IYMBP’s director of trails and park development.

Schoen helped open the Xats?úll Heritage Village years before, so he has experience working with Indigenous communities. They now have a team that showcases the program to communities and helps plan and build the trails.

Connecting with nature

Simpcw member Tom Eustache discusses the impact having trails has in his community of Chu Chua.

Image Credit: Screenshot via YouTube

Being an enthusiastic bike rider, Eustache recognized the significance of introducing more outdoor activities to his community. That’s why he ensured Chu Chua was one of the first communities to work with the IYMBP.

In the documentary, he discussed how Lucas and Schoen garnered trust in Chu Chua by diligently following through on their plans to host workshops and apply learned skills to construct trails.

Eustache expressed that his role in the program is to advocate for mountain biking and inspire people to reconnect with nature. He highlighted the mental health challenges and disconnection from their ancestral lands that many young people face as a result of colonialism.

“That’s what I want, people to get out there and experience what I experience … and to be able to get back out there and be healthy,” he said.

Eustache and his family, who are passionate trail builders and riders, perceive mountain biking not as a form of exercise but rather as a natural outcome of their enjoyment of nature. He noted how biking brings peace, as you can’t worry about anything while riding or you’ll crash, so it’s just about having fun on the trails while feeling the adrenaline.

When contemplating the integration of trails into Chu Chua, he underscored the hazards of the existing pathways, consisting of narrow roads utilized by vehicles and pedestrians. He noted that abundant land is available for developing trail systems across not only his community but also neighbouring ones.

Creating the trails was an organic process, according to Eustache. He and his son would explore the designated areas on foot, identifying routes and mapping out trail layouts.

He is grateful that trail building has given opportunities to his family and enjoys it when he sees other families utilizing the trails together.

“[It’s] pretty awesome that they get out there and connect and get out and walk,” he said.

‘They’re everybody’s trails’

Screen still from “Dirt Relations” via the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival.

Image Credit: Screenshot via YouTube

The level of group involvement varies within each community, as depicted in the documentary, showcasing communities that organize numerous workshops and volunteering days to engage a wide range of individuals in the trail-building process. They are involved in the entire process, assisting with digging and clearing paths to then enjoying the completed courses and riding on them.

In Chu Chua, trail meetings are held to update the community on ongoing builds and plans. Eustache emphasizes the importance of ensuring that everyone feels welcome on the trails.

“This is something that we built, and they’re everybody’s trails,” he said.

To foster unity, IYMBP holds the Allies Mountain Bike Festival, where people come together to celebrate the program, show support, and forge new friendships while exploring the trails in Chu Chua.

“The Allies event really reached a lot of people, and I was surprised how many people from all over the world came to it,” said Eustache.

Setting intentions

Screen still from “Dirt Relations” via the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival.

Image Credit: Sceenshot via YouTube

Eustache stressed the significance of setting intentions during trail construction to ensure the right energy surrounds the project. Additionally, he highlights the importance of respecting the land and evoking individuals’ natural stewardship tendencies.

“We try to make the trails as narrow as we can and keep everything, as you know, as pristine as we can,” he said.

Each aspect of the process is considered, and natural resources workers are also kept nearby in case any artifacts are found.

Some trails follow the natural paths of animals like bears and moose, so children are taught to leave the land undisturbed, mirroring its natural state. They learn the importance of not littering and picking up previous litter when possible. This lesson is crucial, as the children begin using the trails at a young age, with schools now incorporating outdoor classrooms along the trails.

He explained that multiple groups use the trails for different purposes.

“It turned into a bigger thing with the community using it, not only for running but also for walking,” he said.

Eustache says the language department utilizes the trails to identify plants and animals in Secwepemctsín.

“So you go out there, and you’re more likely to remember what type of plant or tree is called in Secwepemctsín than you would be if you’re just looking at that on a board,” he says.

When asked about his hopes for the future of the trails in his community, Eustache looks outside and sees children walking to the trails and expresses a simple desire: for the trails to remain in use.

“I want to see people still getting out there whether it’s here or anywhere in our territory,” he says.

“Dirt Relations” will screen at the United Riders of Cumberland Stokefest this weekend. Upcoming showings are listed on the IYMBP website.

— This story was originally published by The Wren.

News from © iNFOnews, 2024