King Duncan Gouchie & Queen Mary GouchieThe 37th Annual BC Elders Gathering, a celebration acknowledging and bestowing respect, gratitude and honour, hosted by Lheidli T’enneh Nation, will bring over five thousand Elders to Prince George on July 8, 9, 10, and 11, 2013.
Gathering
An Elders Gathering is held so Elders can come together and take their rightful place as advisors, teachers and leaders. Many Elders are involved in and contribute to their communities. They participate in meetings, workshops and various events to support the youth, education committees, Band Councils and others. The knowledge of the Elders is combined through working together to plan for today, tomorrow and long into the future.
The Gatherings are a time to socialize and celebrate past accomplishments, as well as regenerate Elders for future work. It provides an opportunity for Elders to share traditional ways with visiting cultural and linguistic groups through food, songs, dances, ceremonies and more.
Significance
The theme of the 37th Annual Elders Gathering is “Honour Your Journey”. Moreover, this event falls on the 100th anniversary of Lheidli T’enneh being forced from our village in what is now downtown Prince George, to our current reserve. We will be honouring our journey through a fantastic show of song and dance that will illustrate Lheidl’s journey from past to present.
King & Queen
The tradition of the King & Queen began at the 1982 Prince George Gathering. Kings & Queens have been chosen for their leadership qualities and community spirit.
This year the chosen King is Duncan Gouchie and the Queen is Mary Gouchie, who is the oldest living Elder of the Lheidli T’enneh Nation.
Gathering of the Rocks
As the Official Host First Nation of the 2015 Canada Winter Games, we would like to invite you to participate in the Gathering of the Rocks. We are asking individuals to bring a rock from their community to be placed in a hollow enclosure and turned into a beautiful art sculpture for the 2015 Canada Winter Games.
Gathering of the Rocks Information