Recreation as reconciliation
Image: SORCA
How respect and dialogue led to a better relationship
This blog post is part of a new series from the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC focused on the many benefits – some well known, many less so – that outdoor recreation brings to people, communities and the province.
Trace the landmark agreement between the Squamish Off-Road Cycling Association (SORCA) and the Squamish Nation back to its origin and there is a fork in the trail that could have led to a very different outcome.
In 2012, the mountain bike club built the Legacy Trail, the largest trail building project in its history. It switchbacked through a forest owned by the Nation’s logging company, but they hadn’t consulted the Nation. When they asked why not, the club realized their misstep.
“It was a lightbulb moment,” says Uzi Valiante, director of government relations with SORCA. “How do we make this right?”
The Nation could have demanded the trail be removed. Instead they were more generous and community-minded, says Valiante. The mistake opened a conversation between the club and Nation. Later that year members of the Nation joined the mountain bike community in witnessing the opening of the trail and giving it a Skwxwú7mesh Snichim name, Stl’lhalem Sintl’.
SORCA responded in-kind. They helped start the Squamish Nation Youth Mountain Bike Program, which introduces youth to the sport and enables them to explore Skwxwú7mesh traditional territory. And the club began treating the Nation like they were the main governing body of the land.
“We are a settler organization who is an agent of a First Nation government,” explains Valiante. “It’s the opposite of usual. We recognize they are entitled to self-determination. We told them, if they decided to kick us off their land, we would respect that decision.”
That attitude created a lot of goodwill. The two groups realized they were allies with a shared goal of taking care of the backcountry. A couple of years ago, the careful nurturing of the mutually beneficial relationship and respectful dialogue turned a potential conflict into an opportunity.
In 2019, the provincial government returned several parcels of Crown land around Squamish to the Nation as part of a deal associated with the Woodfibre LNG terminal approval. The Nation closed recreational access to the land as they considered what they wanted to do. Some in the climbing community were upset they hadn’t been consulted about the closures, while SORCA was wholly supportive.
Again a potential crisis led to more dialogue and an even better relationship. In 2022, the two parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding for mountain bike access to Nation land. The agreement formalized what was already going on, with the club respecting the Nation’s right to self-determination, agreeing to maintain the trails and consulting with the Nation about future projects.
“For us, this is a role model for the type of relationships we want to continue to build with outdoor associations that use our territory in a manner that we feel will be really respectful,” said Peter Baker, the executive director for territory and culture for the Squamish Nation. “This is about a relationship, about how we’re going to manage together these lands in a sustainable way. One that protects our heritage, our culture.”
The Nation has called SORCA’s approach as “reconciliation in action.” For other clubs looking to forge similar relationships with First Nations, Valiante has easy to follow advice.
“Sit down and tell them your story,” he says. “Who you are, what you are doing, what your vision is. Basically, start a dialogue. I think people will be pleasantly shocked at how much good will they experience.”