Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Silvia Senna

CONNECTING WITH INDIGENOUS CULTURE

TRU students learn about Indigenous culture while paddling along South Thompson River

Apr 5, 2024 | 7:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — It was in a different setting that a class of Thompson Rivers University students finished up their Indigenous Health course. They paddled on the South Thompson River to better understand the importance of the land to Indigenous people.

“My main takeaway is just making sure that we really value what we have, and being able to have this experience on the river is a super cool opportunity — as well as to connect to our learning to the Indigenous people here in Kamloops,” said Mackenzie Campbell, a second-year nursing student.

That connection goes a long way when they become nursing professionals.

“When you better understand where people are coming from, it can help you develop those relationships. And in nursing, relationships are so important in order to care for each other and care for our clients. You have to develop those relationships. You have to develop that trust,” explained assistant professor Amber Archibald with the TRU School of Nursing.

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Aside from building relationships, another main takeaway Archibald hopes the students glean from this experience is teamwork.

“With the paddling that we’re going to be doing, it also helps us to build teamwork and, as nursing students, the teamwork is so important. We always work in a variety of teams and there is definitely a lot of teamwork that’s involved in the paddling in these big canoes,” she told.

And the mission was accomplished.

“It was super fun and we all worked together and paddled along the river. We learned different skills as well, so it was super cool,” said Campbell.

However, it doesn’t mean it was all ‘easy peasy.’

“Paddling the whole time — it’s pretty hard to paddle, especially upstream. That was pretty tricky,” she admitted. “But it was fun.”