When we hear the words ‘truth and reconciliation,' we don’t automatically think of the mountain biking world.
The documentary film Dirt Relations is about to change that. Screening at the Nelson Library on Saturday, Jan. 18, 7 p.m., Dirt Relations is a 30-minute documentary that delves into the connection between mountain biking, reconciliation and healing intergenerational trauma. Following the screening, there will be a conversation with local bikers. The event is free and open to the public.
Dirt Relations tells the story of three men: Patrick Lucas, an eighth generation Canadian from Courtney, B.C., Thomas Schoen, a first generation Canadian, and Tom Eustache, a Secwepemc man and member of the Simpcw First Nation. Their unlikely friendship led them to create the Indigenous Youth Mountain Bike Program, and ultimately find themselves recognized as leaders in fostering meaningful reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
The friendship between the three men is an example of how to bring truth and reconciliation to all aspects of life. “Trail building is an amazing tool when it comes to reconciliation," says Schoen. "We’re working side by side, in the dirt, we’re talking about the past, we’re talking about the pain, about the hurt. There’s no way to form a better bond than by working shoulder-to-shoulder to create something for the people.”
The Indigenous Youth Mountain Bike Program is a non-profit that assists First Nations in western Canada to develop world class multi-purpose nature trails that promote outdoor recreation and healthy living. Over the past decade the Indigenous Youth Mountain Bike Program has worked with dozens of Nations, trained hundreds of youth to build trails, engage in the sport of mountain biking, and built more than 100 kilometres of trails.
