By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com

Patrick Lucas can now add filmmaker to his resume.

Lucas wrote and helped produce Dirt Relations: The Story of the Indigenous Youth Mountain Bike Program.

The 37-minute documentary about the program he founded 11 years ago will have its world premiere on Feb. 23 during the opening night of the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival. The film will be screened at the Centennial Theatre in North Vancouver.

Lucas, who lives in Courtenay, B.C., is a former community planner who worked with various First Nations throughout the province.

Since launching the Indigenous Youth Mountain Bike Program, he has helped build mountain bike trails for about 40 First Nations in B.C.

The program was featured in an episode of the series Return To Earth on Outside TV two years ago.

害羞草研究所淭hat was a great experience and it actually led to this (film) because it害羞草研究所檚 only on Outside TV,害羞草研究所� Lucas said, who is looking to expand the work of the mountain bike program.

While the episode on Outside TV kind of caught the idea of the program, it didn害羞草研究所檛 quite get it all.

害羞草研究所淪o we wanted to do it again. That害羞草研究所檚 what led to this project,害羞草研究所� he said.

Dirt Relations is not, however, simply a film. Lucas is hoping it will raise awareness.

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 part of our goal,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淲e want to keep growing the organization. We want to keep getting more kids out on bikes and more trails built in First Nations communities and kind of keep that discussion around reconciliation and recreation going.害羞草研究所�

Lucas, who is not Indigenous, said improving relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people has become a huge part of the mountain bike program.

害羞草研究所淥ur primary goal with this is that conversation, sharing stories and getting people to talk about what does it really mean to engage in reconciliation,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淧eople throw that word around, and `decolonize害羞草研究所�, like it害羞草研究所檚 a perfume or a cologne. But through our experiences, we害羞草研究所檝e learned really practical things, like reconciliation should be kind of centred on very practical day-to-day issues.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not all theory or academics. We害羞草研究所檙e talking about building trails in a way that upholds Indigenous rights and title, that doesn害羞草研究所檛 uphold the colonial structure that has built around recreation, and about getting kids reconnecting to their lands and territories. It害羞草研究所檚 basic stuff. I think that害羞草研究所檚 where we need to return the conversation to because it害羞草研究所檚 been kind of hijacked in a lot of ways. And nobody really knows what reconciliation means.害羞草研究所�

Thomas Schoen, the program害羞草研究所檚 director of trails and parks development, believes trail building, involving Indigenous people from communities and non-Indigenous program reps, is an amazing tool when it comes to reconciliation.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e working side by side, in the dirt, we害羞草研究所檙e talking about the past, we害羞草研究所檙e talking about the pain, about the hurt,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 no way to form a better bond than by working shoulder-to-shoulder to create something for the people.害羞草研究所�

Dirt Relations also focuses on Tom Eustache, a Simpcw First Nation member, who is a director with the Indigenous Youth Mountain Bike Program.

害羞草研究所淧atrick and Thomas gained my trust because they actually came out and built trails,害羞草研究所� Eustache said. 害羞草研究所淭hey were some of the few people who came to the community and followed through on what they said they were going to do.害羞草研究所�

Lucas said the Vancouver festival is just the start of where the film will be shown. It has been submitted to various festivals around the world.

害羞草研究所淎nd we害羞草研究所檙e already getting a lot of requests for screenings,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚 think it害羞草研究所檚 going to be really good.害羞草研究所�

Lucas said he害羞草研究所檚 emailed every mountain bike club in British Columbia. He害羞草研究所檚 also contacted other clubs throughout Canada and the United States.

害羞草研究所淗opefully, we害羞草研究所檒l set up as many screenings as we can,害羞草研究所� Lucas said. 害羞草研究所淲e might do a little bit of fundraising out of it. But mostly it害羞草研究所檚 just we just want the film to be seen by as many people as humanly possible.害羞草研究所�

Lucas is also hoping to expand the mountain bike program to other provinces and into the United States as well.

The program had its first out-of-province initiative last year when it worked with reps from the Namayagoosisagagun First Nation in northwestern Ontario. Plans were laid out and work was started on a trail in the community.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 always been groups that have contacted us and they want to work with us,害羞草研究所� Lucas said. 害羞草研究所淭he struggle is that we don害羞草研究所檛 know the funding programs in other places. Like, I know the funding here (in B.C.). I can get money here. It害羞草研究所檚 never been a huge issue. But once you get into, say Ontario, everything changes.

害羞草研究所淣ot only the funding changes but those are treaty First Nations, so the relationship with land base is dramatically different. But I害羞草研究所檇 love to do way more. And I hope this (film) will get more people calling us.害羞草研究所�

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