At Chilcotin Holidays we strive to create a positive culture; one that encourages personal growth and development, while providing a safe space for trial and error to occur, which in turn allows for differences and creativity to thrive. We believe that by doing this, everyone who comes here will have a place and the opportunities to grow and evolve and discover who they are and who they want to be.
To make our unique culture, we all work together to encourage and help each other to create and achieve our goals. Here, we have adopted David Salyers motto of ‘Believe the best in each other, want the best for each other, and expect the best from each other’. At the ranch, this is something we strongly believe in and faithfully live by.
After establishing the foundation of the culture that we want to promote and live by here at the ranch, we decided to take a staff trip – all 15 of us – to the Kamloops Pow Wow. We felt that the natives were the best example of a strong, supportive culture and, therefore, the best to learn from. We wanted to see what a positive, encouraging environment can create.
The Pow Wow was amazing. We got to experience and enjoy an authentic, true native culture through song and dance, artwork, food and their hospitable community. There were tribes from all over North America, though you’d never have known that if it wasn’t mentioned. Each person, family and tribe all work together as one, acting as a single community rather than separate units.
There are many things that can bring people together. The natives use Pow Wows and dancing. All genders and ages danced together and each tribe took turns entering the stage to their own music. As each tribe filed in, one behind the other, they all ended up in the centre of the stage together, dancing as one. The music got louder and louder, and the dancers danced harder and harder. The little kids were being taught by the adults and everyone was equal.
From this we could really see that people with common interests, goals, and purposes in life will always come together and work with one another to achieve a collective goal or interest, never against. Those who want to empower and encourage others have a “we” mindset along with an honest, invested interest in their community and each other. It’s never competition over being best or first. The tribes are independent yet interdependent, just like us at the ranch.
A sense of self empowerment comes from having a strong supportive community. Here at the ranch, there is no such thing as “the” lead guide but mentor guides, we all walk side-by-side, mentoring each other along the way, for growth and development is not a competition or contest. Though we are all on our own separate transformational journeys, we know that together we can achieve the common goals, goals of growth, transformation and finding purpose – which in turn creates an environment where growing and evolving as individuals and as a community can take place.
Authors: Dana and Jasmin, Ontario
