Gathering Our Medicine

Camp fircom
in partnership with
Gathering our Medicine

Strengthening and Healing Kinship Through Culture

Gathering Our Medicine is a program created by Sḵwx̱wú7mesh scholar-practitioner Denise Findlay to support parents, caregivers and other adults caring for Indigenous children and youth who may be experiencing mild to moderate mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression.

Camp Fircom is excited for this new partnership hosting Gathering Our Medicine camps and retreats. See below for more information on the Summer Family Culture Camp.

The Gathering Our Medicine approach centres culture and kinship as the best medicine and most natural context for supporting health and well-being for families, children and youth, while also being trauma and developmentally informed.

To learn more: watch video

FAMILY cULTURE CAMP

This 2-night, 2.5 day Family Camp takes place on Sḵwx̱wú7mesh traditional territory and is led by Denise’s team, which includes Sḵwx̱wú7mesh elders, mentors and teachers.

Participants: parents, caregivers and other adults and the Indigenous children and teens they care for.

Date: Sunday, June 30th - Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Camp Fees: (includes $70/person water taxi fare)

Adults: $440.00 + GST
First Child/Teen (K-9, 5-15 yrs): $325.00 + GST
Second Child/Teen (K-9, 5-15 yrs): $265.00 + GST

Accommodation Options:

Cabin (shared with one other family): $0
Sibley Tent: $0
Craigcroft accommodation fee: $50.00 per room ($25/night)

For more information on accommodation options, please visit our ACCOMMODATION PAGE.

REGISTER HERE

Registration opens February 24, 2024 at 11 am.

Questions? info@fircom.ca

Details:

Families, children and youth who attend the camp will experience being immersed in a cultural-relational experience. Together, families will have an unforgettable experience on the beautiful BC coast—centred around passion-based play, gaining an introduction to Indigenous worldviews, teaching and exploration through curiosity, and forming life-long relationships with the natural world. Cultural-relational content will include:

Ceremony led by Sḵwx̱wú7mesh elders.
Land-based activities and hands-on learning.
Sharing meals and hearing from Sḵwx̱wú7mesh storytellers.

More Details:

Sessions offered for parents and caregivers will be led by senior Gathering Our Medicine facilitators and mentors. When adults attend teaching sessions, children and youth will participate in culturally based activities with the Gathering Our Medicine team and traditional camp activities with the Fircom Summer Camp staff.

Parent and caregiver sessions are immersive, interactive and intended to provide insight into:

The Gathering Our Medicine approach.
Developmental and relational needs of children and youth.
Four relationship rituals for strengthening kinship and addressing common problems that arise in our children and youth today.
Practical ways adults can respond to children and youth with anxiety and depression.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Getting to/From camp Fircom

GROUND & SITE MAP >

Horseshoe Bay Public Dock:

Staff will sign you in at the west side of the park next to Horseshoe Bay Public Dock.
Please arrive 15-30 minutes prior to schedule boat departure to find parking and join the group.

Boat Departures:

SUNDAY, JUNE 30: Check in at Horseshoe Bay: TIME TBC
TUESDAY, JULY 2: Arrive back to Horseshoe Bay: TIME TBC

Exact boat times will be confirmed in early spring and posted here, and we will send them in an email 3-4 weeks prior to camp. The water taxi crossing over to Camp Fircom on Gambier Island takes approximately 25 minutes but there can be delays with loading, winds, etc. Sometimes it can take some time to load to boats, so please be patient with us as we get everyone to and from camp safely.

Parking:

We highly recommend taking public transit or being dropped off in Horseshoe Bay to avoid the hassle of finding parking. If you need to park, the following lots are available:

Lions Tiddlycove Parking ($10/day): This parking lot is a 20 min walk from the Horseshoe Bay Public Dock up under the highway.
BC Ferries Parking ($17-$25/day): These short-term and long-term parking lots are centrally located in Horseshoe Bay village but can quickly fill up on weekends.

Cancellation Policy:

Registrations that are cancelled prior to June 1, 2024 will receive a full refund less a $100.00 Cancellation Fee. If the registration is cancelled between June 1st and fifteen days prior to the start date of the session, a refund of 50% of the Registration Fee will be given. No refund will be given within two weeks of the session start date, with the exception of a cancellation for a medical emergency (including a positive COVID-19 test result). If a cancellation is for medical reasons and a medical note is provided, only the $100.00 Cancellation Fee will be held and the rest of the Registration Fee will remain as a credit on the camper’s account (for any Fircom program, to be used in one year). Campers leaving mid-session due to medical or behavioral reasons will not receive a refund.

“Community is the context in which a person comes to know the nature of relationship, responsibility, and participation in the life-ways of one’s people. Community is also the context in which the affective dimension of education unfolds. It’s the place where one comes to know what it is to be related. It is the place of sharing life through everyday acts, through song, dance, story, and celebration. It is the place of teaching, learning, making art, and sharing thoughts, feelings, joy, and grief. It is where each person can become complete and express the fullness of their life” - Cajete