In central British Columbia, a First Nation is turning to horses to help its population heal from trauma. The program that will include riding and horse care seeks to teach “life skills, mentorship, Indigenous teachings and qualified professional support to address the roots of trauma through the power of healing with land and horses.”
Horses as a form of psychotherapy is well documented and has been proven to heal many people who suffer from different types of trauma, including PTSD, eating disorders, anxiety, and depression, among many other issues.
The Tl’etinqox First Nation, west of Williams Lake in the Chilcotin area, have been given $1.9 million in federal government funding, plus additional funds from the provincial government, to buy land and build an equine facility. “As original inhabitants of this vast and beautiful territory encompassing high mountain plateaus, forests, grasslands, lakes and desert, the Tsilhqot’in people have been self-reliant and well provided for through their own ingenuity and relationship with the land and with nature,” explains project manager Dawn Bursey, to the Prince George Citizen. “This project aims to both reflect and expand on these strengths.”