Tmixw tours will be in its third year of programming for 2024. This initiative began as a means to promote inclusion and diversity in the outdoor recreation sector and Indigenous land acknowledgement. As an organization we promote activities on trails and with this program we put a focus on ensuring inclusion of Indigenous folks utilizing trails. The genesis for this came from an idea of Damyn Libby, Damyn was the first Indigenous Youth Trails BC hired on.  

 

To ensure proper Indigenous protocol considerations were followed Sage Flett Kruger, a Syilx/Okanagan member of the Penticton Indian Band, joined Trails BC to lead what is now Tmixw tours. The location for the tours are in the Okanagan Nation territory in the interior of BC. Sage chose the name Tmixw tours, as in the nsyilxcen (Okanagan language) it is the word commonly used to refer to all living things is tmixʷ. Tmixʷ includes everything alive – the land, water, animals, people, plants and so on.

 

Sage envisioned having these tours for Indigenous folks to get out onto the land and trails, hear traditional stories about the land and have their Indigenous languages included in the tours. Sage grew up with the traditions of hunting and gathering in her territory. She attend Outma Sqilx’w Cultural School on her reserve as a child. These are life experiences Sage holds near and dear to her heart. “Learning culture is a blessing.” Sage wanted to create an environment “for participants to learn with each other, to feel comfortable with one another. To be able to take this knowledge with them.”

 

The First year, in 2021, Sage connected with the Westbank First Nation and the Okanagan Nation Alliance. COVID was still at a height of concern and safety protocols were adhered to as they were updated from the Ministry of Health. Six tours were done with the Westbank First Nation Youth group that first year.

 

The second year, Sage connected with the Family programming of Westbank First Nation. The tours were so well received in the second year with seventeen tours were done. These tours were with the Westbank Youth Group, Penticton Indian Band Youth Group, Westbank Family Programming and Penticton Indian Band Tot (toddlers/families) Group. On these tours Sage talks with participants about native plants, invasive species, wildlife and history of the area/Okanagan people. Some of the tours included a knowledge keeper or Elder Joining the group to share traditional knowledge of the tour area.  We are able to provide an honorarium to them for their knowledge and their time. Tours with older Youth are hiking tours and more fast paced. Tours with the young families are slower and stroller friendly. We had a number of tours where we went out and gathered traditional foods such as siyaʔ – Saskatoon berries, spʼiƛʼm – Bitterroot and stʼxaɬq – Huckleberries. We provide healthy snacks and water. We hope these tours can be cherished memories for our participants.

 

These tours are offered from March to October for the comfort of our participants and staff.

 

We are excited for our third year of tours