October 21, 2024
Together we rise: How mułaa, Rising Tide Surf Team empowers and connects nuučaan̓uł youth with this Indigenous sport and the ocean
By Erin Linn McMullan
Surfing for them is a lot more than just getting on a board,” says Cass Hale, Program Coordinator, who works with mułaa (pronounced mu-thla) Rising Tide Surf Team. “It’s the interactions, the community in the water, and even just the play in the water is such a huge part of it. It builds such a great foundation to play with your board, not go out there and be like, ‘I’m going to catch a wave today.’
It’s more of, ‘I’m just going to go out there and have fun today.
Let’s just see what the ocean is going to offer me.’”
As autumn weaves its magic spell over the west coast and the Pacific swell, fall season is underway for mułaa, Rising Tide Surf Team. Now in its fourth year, the program, co-founded by Rachel Dickens and Alyssa Fleishman, provides access, cultural connection, and camaraderie for nuučaan̓uł youth while embracing surfing’s Indigenous roots.
“We’re mułaa, the surf team but it’s so much more than just a surf team,” emphasizes Cass. “It’s the language component, it’s the spiritual component, it’s the connection to the land. You hit all these areas of your mental health, your physical well-being. This program encompasses all those for the youth and it’s miraculous to watch them.”
The fall team is made up of fourteen members, aged ten and up. Predominantly Tla-o-qui-aht, but with family lines radiating throughout nuučaan̓uł communities, including Tseshaht and Ahousaht, as well as some Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ youth who travel in from Hitacu. Most are continuing from summer camp, with others joining in as they can. “Now we’re at a place where hopefully we get to grow a little bit,” says Cass.
The group surfs on Yaaqsis, (pronounced Yaaq-sis, aka Long Beach) in front of Esowista—relatively protected with easy access from the community. Focusing the surf program there and drawing attention to daily environmental changes encourages youth “to learn the lay of the land” and “be very in tune with the Nature component, and aware of their surroundings.
“We want our kids to be safe in the water,” stresses Cass, explaining, “most of them are playing in the water outside of surf. That’s their homeland.
“The youth now are starting to really pick it up and notice when they hop in, ‘Oh, there is more of a current around Crab Island today,’ or ‘the water is really clear, and I can see the bottom today’.”
Each session begins with a traditional opening circle and check-in, and she reflects on how many say, ‘I feel so much better getting in the water. That made my day so much better.’”
mułaa runs spring, summer, and fall sessions, and in wintertime, includes a ski trip and skateboarding as well as cultural activities for younger members. “We always want them to feel good, confident in what they’re doing,” stresses Cass, “and as they get older there is opportunity to do a little bit more surfing in winter and later fall. We’re just meeting the kids where they’re at.”
Encouraging community
Some older youth also become youth advisors, mentoring teammates, serving on mułaa’s board, and the hiring committee. Assisting with programming, learning how to clean gear, and developing leadership skills all boost a sense of pride and responsibility.
“Our summer camp really starts to open doors for them when the youth get a little bit older, around that 15- to 16-year-old range, because we do water training with them that can open up doors of surf instructor and lifeguarding.” Through the program, youth earn Lifesaving medals from Bronze Star to Bronze Cross. “One of our youths is in training right now to become a surf instructor.
“We also had some of our youth attend BWRAG (Big Wave Risk Assessment Group) with the Hawaiians that came up this summer.” Cass explains these Hawaiian lifeguards helped youth develop better aquatic life skills and learn how to do risk and assessment around safety.
Once youth have water safety training, mułaa provides wetsuits, expanding access outside program hours. Youth also gained skills helping build the surf shed in 2023 to store wetsuits and fins, surfboards and boogie boards.
Future goals include adding snorkeling and learning ocean stewardship: “taking care of the land, taking care of themselves, taking care of each other.
“We talk lots about how nuučaan̓uł people are water people. They are meant to take up that space in the water…so we’re creating more space for that.
“I had two youth join last night for the first time and their mom said to me that is the first time they’ve been in the ocean here.
“That’s our mission: how can we break down barriers, how can we bring more youth in and just inspire them to take up space in the water and to see more people like themselves in the water?”
Siiksaanapšiił (siik/saa/nap/šiił) is the Tla-o-qui-aht word for surfing
nuučaan̓uł language is threaded throughout the experience as youth learn surf terms and beach names with the goal to someday have entire lessons in Nuu-chah-nulth. That direction came from youth in their later teens and early 20s during mułaa’s board retreat work. “Wanting us internally to be able to use the language, and share the language, and have this solid base to be able to go out and share it with other Indigenous youth.” She points out, “We have some fantastic language speakers” who are encouraged to ‘Lean into this gift of language.”
Another dream shared during retreat is to see Indigenous youth compete in the Olympics. “We do work very hard to expose them to Indigenous people in sport so that they can be inspired by those people,” reflects Cass, including local role models.
Rediscovering surfing’s Indigenous roots
Cultural exchange is essential to understanding surfing’s Indigenous origins. During a summer exchange with the Hawaiians, nuučaan̓uł youth learned about its history and roles in community, after surfing was brought to the Hawaiian archipelago by the Polynesians.[1]
Youth learned Hawaiian surfboards were often fashioned from larger pieces of wood drifting up on their beaches from nuučaan̓uł areas here on the Northwest Pacific Coast. “That’s what has been explained through story to us,” says Cass.
“It’s an Indigenous sport,” emphasizes Cass, and the intent is to raise awareness while revitalizing and decolonizing surfing. “Surfing is for all, we’re trying to make it inclusive, not exclusive.”
Experiencing mułaa’s impact firsthand
Asked how she got involved, Cass relates her own story about how joining this team can shift your child’s mental health. “My husband is Ahousaht, so he’s nuučaan̓uł,” explaining he has hereditary lines in Tla-o-qui-aht. “We moved down here from Northern Alberta, and we were trying to find activities for our kids. I feel like Tofino and Ukee, it’s like winning the lotto to get in on any sports.
“My kids are active back home, competitive swim, cross-country skiing, and I was just running into wall after wall down here. Then Melody Charlie, the photographer, posted about mułaa.
“It opened up a whole big world” for her children, with first her son, KC, then her daughter, Emelia joining. While they were familiar with her Métis culture, mułaa “was part of their first integrations into their nuučaan̓uł side of learning their culture and being part of their culture.”
“It was very powerful,” she reflects, inspiring her to first volunteer, then work for the team, applying experience from starting up ski clubs to increase families’ access and inclusion.
Outreach and support
In September, mułaa hosted 10 Indigenous youth from Tsawwassen. While this visiting program brought its own surf instructors, mułaa‘s older youth served as representations of Indigenous youth in the water and shared their nuučaan̓uł language “making it a big, encompassed circle.”
From youth to adults, mułaa is a team effort. Cass credits their incredible community support from TFN and Iris Frank, to youth workers, mental health counsellors, and surf instructors, to Deb Masso, who shares language, and Gisele Martin, who takes youth on canoe trips.
Beyond immediate concerns of fundraising for winter gear and finding transportation solutions to include more youth from the communities, Cass dreams of one day working herself out of a job “for these youth to have something to take over, to keep sharing. They are our future.”
Youth perspectives on the program
“I feel like I’m more like thankful for having the ability to go in the ocean.” Excited to see the team surf this season, he reflects, “I feel I’m passing on knowledge that I have of being a mentor in some senses to the youth.’ His takeaway: “Be prepared for your plans to change.”
KC Hale, 15, youth leader, Bronze Medallion and Cross.
Emelia enjoys “being with friends and surfing”. Her goal this season, to stand on the board, and hopefully someday be a mentor.
Emelia Hale, 10, team member, Bronze Star and Medallion.
“Day camp told me about mułaa and that is how I joined,” says Isha, whose favourite part of the program is the water. “I have been a part of mułaa since 2022.” Isha is looking forward to the winter snowboarding trip.
Isha August, 15.
Vinny’s favourite part is also that “we get to go into the water a lot.” Vinny has been in mułaa two years. “My friends told me about the program, so I joined.” Vinny is looking forward to attending the Snotty Nose Rez Kids’ concert.
Vinny Titian, 12.
How you can support mułaa
From team toques and T-shirts to nuučaan̓uł language-focused postcards featuring surf terminology and a map of local beaches with surf breaks, mułaa’s merchandise supporting the program is now available next door at Tsawaak RV Resort & Campground’s new Visitor Centre.
Learn more about mułaa’s impact Here.
Come enjoy Storm Season (3-night minimum from November through February) at a 30% discount by following the link OR by using the promo code “STORMS30”. Book Here.
During Storm Season (October 1, 2024–May 1, 2025), Tsawaak RV Resort & Campground offers long-term (off-season) monthly rates for RV Sites and Cabins. For more information Visit Here: and to Book, email: manager@tsawaakrvresort.ca
Guests of Tin Wis Resort and Tsawaak RV Resort & Campground receive 15% off a session at the Tuff City Sauna at Mackenzie Beach, or for a mobile sauna that can be delivered right to the resort! By Storm Season, a sauna will be installed onsite. Book Online using the discount code and present your Tin Wis Bonus Card.
Order food to go or make reservations for lunch or dinner via Tofino Browns Socialhouse online portal Here. Open from 12 p.m.–11 p.m. with a full menu until closing time. Social Hour daily from 3–6 p.m. Wish Browns a Happy one-year anniversary at the resort on October 24 with Social Hour all day!
Guests of Tin Wis Resort and Tsawaak RV Resort & Campground enjoy a 10% discount for online bookings at Tofino Paddle Surf onsite year-round. October is surf month! Surf lesson and boogie board fun for the whole family right here at Tin Wis Resort. Open daily 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Book Here.
Beach Yoga is available this fall on Tin Wis Beach from 10:30–11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday (if it’s not raining). For Locals rate simply use the code LOCALS at checkout. Always free for First Nations people. Online reservations are mandatory. Book Here.
Guests of Tin Wis Resort and Tsawaak RV Resort & Campground receive $20 off with their discount code when booking with Ahous Adventures online or by calling 250-725-0650. Ahous Adventures is located downtown at 368 Main Street, Unit 313. Present your bonus card on arrival for your tour.
Plan ahead for next summer’s Tofino Wine & Dine 2025 (June 5-9) with an Early Bird special of 25% on a minimum 3-night stay at Tin Wis Resort. Book Here or with Promo Code WineDineEB before December 31, 2024. Purchase your weekend showpass for Tofino Wine & Dine 2025 (June 7-8) Here.
[1] Cave paintings document surfing in Polynesia as far back as the 12th century. History of Surfing, Collections of Waikiki