On Sept. 5, shíshálh Nation hosted an inter-governmental sporting event, inviting local government groups to partake in some friendly competition during the last throes of summer.
The District of Sechelt, Town of Gibsons, Sunshine Coast Regional District and shíshálh Nation met at Ted Dixon Park ready for a wide array of games, with roughly 60 participants. (Some people changed teams for the sake of fair numbers)
lhe hiwus yalxwemult (Chief Lenora Joe) kicked off the event with kway?imin Andy Johnson by singing the Nation’s traditional war song, setting the tone for some fierce, friendly competition.
The first event was the Tug Of War, where teams were pitted against each other in a show of strength.
The field was full as fans cheered on friends and honked their cars from the sidelines.
The following event was Lime on a Spoon, where teammates had to run and pass a lime to each other, restarting if the lime was dropped.
After some events in the sun, it was time for some shade, kicking off the third event, Bean Bag Toss (also known as Cornhole).
The Nation provided snacks and drinks for everyone, including bannock made by April Joe and attendees enjoyed a brief break while others played.
Next up was a three-legged relay race, where teammates tied a leg together and tried to outrun others.
The last event was a puzzle relay, where teams had to solve 5 different puzzles at different stations throughout the park. Jigsaws, sudokus, Where’s Waldo?, crossword and more were featured.
Sportsmanship and camaraderie were on full display throughout the evening, with high-fives between matches, encouragement from teammates and competitors alike and a welcoming atmosphere.
“Thank you all for coming, this was such an amazing turnout, I really appreciate all of the hard work that all of the events did for this event today, we appreciated it, our hands go up to you,” said yalxwemult as the event was beginning.
shíshálh Nation won the friendly festivities.
Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
