The Caledonia Nordic Ski Club and the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation have signed a partnership agreement which includes hosting an annual Lheildi T’enneh Nation Day at Otway Ski Centre.
They signed the agreement in the morning on National Indigenous Peoples Day before celebrations commenced at Lheildi T’enneh Memorial Park.
“This Partnership agreement both celebrates our past and outlines new initiatives such as Caledonia Nordic annually hosting a Lheidli T’enneh Frist Nation Day at the Otway Ski Centre,” said Lheildi T’enneh Chief Dolleen Logan.
“We are excited to see our community from our youth to our elders introduced to all that the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club has to offer and the rest of our members and the Prince George community can attend and have fun.”
She said this is the type of partnership agreement that will ensure Truth and Reconciliation happens and the fact that it was signed on National Indigenous Peoples Day makes it even more special.
Caledonia Nordic Ski Club President Lance MacDonald said the partnership happened through a grassroots discussion as they have a fantastic working relationship with the Lheidli T’enneh and it was something they wanted to build on.
“The have helped us welcome the best competitive Nordic skiers and biathletes to their unceded territory and our community of Prince George,” said MacDonald, adding he’s excited about planning the first ever Lheidli T’enneh Day at Otway, which will be held sometime during the coming ski season.
He said the day will most likely entail, skiing, lessons, and a celebration of culture and the history of the land and how it was used historically.
“We think this is an excellent way to strengthen our relationship and get more Lheidli members enjoying Nordic skiing and perhaps biathlon. We are honoured that the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation sees our relationship as important to both parties and another demonstration of what Truth and Reconciliation can look like.”
This is the third partnership agreement Lheildi T’enneh has signed in the past year. The first was with the Prince George Chamber of Commerce in June 2022, and the second was with the Prince George Airport Authority in February 2023.
Logan explained why making these partnerships with community groups in Prince George and the region is so important to the Lheidli T’enneh.
“It’s important for our members and for our nation to finally get recognition. We have been here for 9,000 years and there’s still people in Prince George who do not know what Lheidli T’enneh is,” said Logan.
“It’s going to be a long learning curve for people who don’t realize there’s a First Nation here, but for our members it’s pride and saying, ‘this is our territory’. Partnerships like with the Nordic Ski Club who acknowledge it, recognize it, and celebrate it …. that’s the main thing to have recognition in our own territory.”
