Two members of the Antigua Island Girls, who hail from the small nation of Antigua and Barbuda, will be honoured guests in the Pulling Together Canoe Journey, which will row through WSÁNEĆ, Malahat, and Cowichan territory from July 6 to the 13.
The Canoe Journey includes 12 to 17 canoes, with more than 300 participants. It begins at Tsawout First Nation and ends in Cowichan territory with a closing circle on Sunday, July 13.
Since 2001, Indigenous communities have partnered with police and other provincial and federal agencies, including RCMP, the Vancouver Police Department, and the Royal Canadian Navy, for the annual journey, according to a press release.
Rowing together since 2018, the Antigua Island Girls are the first all-black female rowing team to cross any ocean in an event called The World's Toughest Row. After two Antiguan all male teams tackled the adventure in 2015 and 2017, the Island Girls dared to create space in an area void of black female representation in 2018 when team members Samara Emmanuel, Elvira Bell, Christal Clashing, and Kevinia Francis rowed across the Atlantic Ocean — a real feat for Francis who had to get over the hurdle of learning how to swim.
Learning less than 10 per cent of the national population can swim, she set out to change this through her charitable endeavours. She has since joined her teammate as an assistant toddler swim instructor for 'Splashing with Clashing' and has written a children’s book titled Kevi and the Big Blue Sea to inspire young children to conquer their fears of swimming.
In 2023 Clashing, Francis, and Emmanuel conquered their fears again as they crossed the Pacific Ocean in less than 40 days — a journey Francis described as physically brutal, emotionally intense, and spiritually transformative, and one that revealed their strength, sisterhood, and resilience.
"This was a moment of deep pride and purpose," said Francis. "It meant rewriting the narrative of who belongs in spaces of adventure, endurance, and global achievement. As someone who had to learn to swim just to make this dream a reality, it was also a personal triumph over fear. We rowed not just for ourselves, but for every young girl who needs to see that impossible is just a challenge waiting to be conquered."
These ambassadors of their country were recently honoured with the Gold Plaque for the Most Precious Order of Princely Heritage for Humanitarian Endeavours — equivalent to our Order of Canada. Francis, who is also a national cyclist, and Clashing, who is also national swimmer, both know a thing or two about breaking barriers and are thrilled to be representing their country as guests in the upcoming event.
Matt Baran, a consultant based out of Miami, Florida first discovered the work Francis and Clashing were doing in their own community through a called 'A Challenge for Everyone' which mirrored similar programming he had witnessed on reserves in B.C. This later led to conversations with Cowichan's Max Henry, who Baran calls an unsung hero for the unwavering commitment, love, and compassion he has for his youth in the Ocean Spirit Canoe Family as he works to re-establish the strong canoe passion that has struggled post-COVID. Henry and Betty-Jean Kruger of the Okanagan Nation invited the two women to be honoured guests at this year's event. Henry has offered up cultural teachings and seats in his canoe, the Okanagan Nation supplied them with camping equipment.
"Being invited as guests is an incredible honour and a powerful symbol of unity and cultural exchange," said Francis. "This journey is rooted in respect, tradition, and connection to both land and sea — values that deeply resonate with us as Caribbean women and ocean rowers. We are most looking forward to the shared storytelling, the rhythm of paddling in sync with others, and the chance to learn from Indigenous communities about their rich canoeing heritage. In those moments of shared movement and mutual respect, we may come to realize that even though we are worlds apart and shaped by different cultures, at the root, we are not that different after all."
Baran compares Francis and Clashing to being like Swiss army knives — full of multi-skills and talents that range from teaching sport and low-cost exercise to being advocates for women in sports, and promoting tourism for their nation, a multi-tool approach he calls very similar to the teachings youth receive on reserves that includes sports, language, culture and being an ambassador for their nation.
The two women, who will paddle in traditional West Coast canoes, are not just looking forward to the overall experience, but the opportunity to bring Indigenous teachings around youth programs back to their own country. With an extended invitation they hope to see more First Nations visit their homeland, which has earned the reputation as one of the most beautiful Caribbean islands.
To learn more about the Pulling Together Canoe Society and the event visit pullingtogether.ca.
"We hope to walk away with deeper cross-cultural bonds and a renewed sense of responsibility to continue bridging worlds through courage, collaboration, and movement," said Francis.
