Ep. 270: Benefits of fitness among First Nations

Guest: Dr. Rosalin Miles, UBC Indigenous Studies in Kinesiology

Chief Dan George talked of “the beauty of the trees, the softness of the air, the fragrance of the grass, they speak to me… the trail of the sun and the life that never goes away, they speak to me. And my heart soars.”

The forest, according to Peter Wohleben, is a social network connected by a wood wide web. In his book, “The Hidden Life of Trees,” he says trees talk to one another, they share food, they take care of one another and they support each other. He says it’s no surprise that the saddest trees are those that have been enslaved in isolation in human-constructed systems. Those trees lose their ability to communicate and connect, the result is compromised health and a shorter life span.

So too with humans. We know the devastating impacts of isolation on babies. We know the devastating impact on communities that are cut off or worse intentionally isolated. Canada’s Indian Act isolated First Nations in a way that has compromised their health and life expectancy.

Dr Rosalin Miles thought, what better way to take a step towards better health and reconciliation than in a rainforest? Working with a wide range of health care and sports organizers and organizations, she launched the Rainforest Trail Run, a 5K event that celebrates First Nations cultures and promotes wellness through movement.

The inaugural event took place on Sunday the 29th of September 2019 and was immediately proclaimed a great success as an event, as a coming together and as a step towards reconciliation.

We invited Dr Rosalin Miles to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the healing power of a community in motion in the cradle of Mother Nature.