When my daughter, Talaysay 7an, was born, she didn’t enter the world crying; she arrived with a shout, announcing, “I am here!” As a new mother, I held her for the first time, in awe as she stared back at me with intense brown eyes. In our Indigenous culture, we believe that a child chooses their parents.

By the time Talaysay was five years old, she was already proficient at paddling a kayak. Her cousins Michaela and Zach, who were six, would join our paddles along the sheltered bays on warm summer days on the Sunshine Coast. It’s a long-honored tradition to take children out on the water, where they develop paddle skills early on. When they are so young, they don’t question their abilities—they just paddle and navigate. They just do. As they get older and their skills improve, they face more challenging environments until they can handle all conditions on the sea, including knowing when to get off the water when storms approach.

Talaysay grew up on the Salish Sea, and by the time she was seven, she would accompany me on day tour paddles in ?alhtulich (Sechelt Inlet). I remember one time when a black bear emerged from the bush and walked toward us while we were having lunch on the beach. We quickly packed up and launched our kayaks, giving the bear its space. Our guests saw it as an added highlight to their kayak tour.

When our company offered multi-day kayak tours, I would rotate Talaysay between doubles and singles with other clients as we covered over 30 km on a three-day trip. By the time she was nine, she was paddling her own single kayak on these multi-day tours. Now, at 26 years old, Talaysay and I still guide multi-day kayak and canoe tours together. It’s a core skill in her life—a part of who she is.

As a parent, it’s my responsibility to pass on my skills to her. Talaysay is also a fisherwoman, as we were both born into the xehnichen clan—people of the fish trap, belonging to a fishing family. We fish.

Spending extended time on the land and out in nature is work. You paddle considerable distances, and the wind and tides aren’t always in your favor. You pitch tents, cook, and wash your dishes on the shoreline. It’s work, but it’s also one of the most beautiful experiences to share with another person, and I’ve shared this outdoor life with my daughter.

This is a dream I have for all families. We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, here on the West Coast, and I truly hope that families can access this incredible outdoor life and spend quality time with their loved ones in nature. Time on the land is medicine, and for me and Talaysay, it has been the core foundation of our relationship. Out here, we untether from media and technology, hike and paddle together, and share meals cooked on the shoreline.

Born to the Land

Truth and Reconciliation: Two Friends, One Mission