adventures off to new territories are my fav kind of adventures! 

tl' esqox it was soooo lovely to meet you for the first time ever

and 

just as I thought

it took forever for this tourist to arrive 

I stopped more than a few times just to inhale the smell of sage everywhere. 

and watch the horses run wild and free!

I wondered where all their neighbours were? 

Soooooo much land, it made me feel all squished here :O 

I thought about the salmon that somehow magically find their way into my smoke house 

sometimes all the way from this very river! 

it's always interesting to know where my food comes from, especially when it comes to food fish. 

made me grateful to these people & this river. 

for the sharing their wild healthy salmon that nourish us all year long! 

we arrived somehow without GPS or wifi & if you know me that almost miraculous!

horses, everywhere. 

wow, we were so fascinated!! 

not sure what we originally  expected but it was so much more than what we did. 

my heart was racing with excitement!

I could see my son's eyes sparking and feel his eagerness and impatience as I tried to park. 

it was so foreign to us, we'd never seen such connections between horses and First Nations before. 

we were definitely in another world & it felt amazing to finally leave our very familiar world. 

This was their world. 

Their way of life. 

& 

we were visitors. 

it was mind blowing to me & I thought it was the coolest thing EVER! 

to see youth & even young toddlers 

learning, 

playing 

competing 

connecting

I was trying to be all shy & shoot from afar

until I got introduced to the chief and the MC who asked me to speak to the crowd 

gulp :O attempts to speak my language 

hopefully it made sense to someone! 

We were on his home lands, this territory has been in his family for generations. 

Every year he hosts and I could hear the joy that he brought him to do such. 

Of course I was interested in everyone's story. 

but everyone was busy, helping, teaching, volunteering. 

I was so curious, did he ride? 

Does he still? Who taught him? How old was he when he started? 

Does he still ride? Why if not? 

So many stories and thoughts were running in my head 

but I want to know

no time to know. 

just captures of them in their elements. 

Oh but I really wanted to know his story. 

Does he speak his language? 

oh how I"d have loved to hear his story too! 

but there were too many fast things to be captured and no time to slow down to all the stories I was curious about. 

no time for visits or interviews.

even though part of me was sad 

I was happy to witness 

slowly made my way to the elders who were all on the hill 

oh how I wanted to create portraits of them all individually 

but I knew that would take more time and trust than I had. 

but in the few short moments I did have, I was grateful that some of them trusted this stranger in their territory. 

maybe it was my attempt of my language? 

I don't know but I do know that I'm always naturally drawn to the speakers!

so thank you tl' esqox for opening

your home

your hearts

& 

for sharing your language 

your elders 

& 

your salmon 

I"ll most definitely be back

next time to hear more stories 

xo