SPORTS & ACTIVITIES

Sport Travel | Multi Activity | Native Activities | Yukon Activities
The History of a Great Nation | Native Historical Timeline
Warning & Disclaimer

Sport Travel

Canada provides a unique location for various types of special sporting holidays and the ultimate location for any type of winter sporting holiday. The selections offered are fun, challenging and safe with an opportunity to meet like-minded adventurous people and in many cases no previous experience is necessary and single travellers or groups are always welcome.

The unrivalled ranges of quality activities available include water-skiing, surfing, paragliding, hot-air ballooning, windsurfing, helicopter flying, sailing, climbing, abseiling, jet skiing, wake-boarding, coastal, rainforest and outback safaris, sailing, scuba diving, snorkelling, mountain biking and orienteering and many, many more......including horse riding, camel trekking, motorcycle riding and quad-biking.

Activities

Multi Activity

Not in your wildest dreams, could you image a better theatre for outdoors activities than in Canada. Truly the home of the great outdoors and nowhere else on earth will you find such a variety and diverse a landscape of mountains and valley, wilderness and tundra, coastlines and modern cities. Canada is a 'must do' for the activity traveller with so many possibilities to experience.

The country's greatest assets, apart from its people, are of course its wide-open spaces and amazing assortments of nature. Canada has a varied and vast natural environment and an amazing climate in which to enjoy them all. A country with such majestic mountains and luscious valley, extraordinary islands and pristine lakes, breathtaking wilderness and arctic expanses, with compelling and unique wildlife and inspiring natural contrasts. It is no wonder that Canada is considered one of the stand out activity destinations in the world.

The activity options we have selected are, in the main, suitable for all members of the family who are in a reasonably fit condition and enjoy the outdoors, although certain activities require minimum weight and/or height limitations. They are not intended to make you feel like you 'need a holiday' when you have finished, rather they will add a little excitement and a level of challenge that will make you feel refreshed and energised. Also we hope it will give you a great sense of wellbeing and affinity for the natural world around you.

Easiness & Difficulty Rating - Throughout this section the level of fitness required for each particular event is indicated as follows:

Super Easy: Invite Grand-Ma and Grand-Pa along, it's a real easy! (However, chances are they are fitter than you!)

Easy: Grand-Ma and Grand-Pa are welcome, but you may have to help them (or they help you) here and there.

Moderate: Some degree of difficulty experienced and you should be in a fit condition, do not suggest to invite Grand-Ma and Grand-Pa along.

Testing: Occasionally very difficult and may require carrying loads. You should be very fit and certainly do not invite Grand-Ma and Grand-Pa along.

Very Testing: Extreme difficulty, so never even consider inviting Grand-Ma and Grand-Pa along! For the very fit, active and experienced adventurers. Some severe hardship could be involved.

Native Activities

For an enriching one-of -a-kind authentic native experience which will immerse you in the rich cultural environment of the indigenous people of the Great North American Plains. Observe and participate in some of the unique native traditions and ceremonies, see ancient dancers, learn from native elders or take part in a teepee raising ceremony or help build a traditional sweat lodge. As Canada is home to many different First Nations and you are invited to immerse yourself into their distinct cultural heritage by taking a look at the Native Experience Packages available on the following pages.

Yukon Activities - Yukon

Explore the grandeur and remoteness of the Yukon for a true wilderness retreat and participate in one of your favourite activities, whilst surrounded by spectacular scenery. Experience the quiet, peacefulness and total tranquillity that this part of Canada has to offer! These programmes have been chosen in key areas and are easily reached from Whitehorse. At each property there is a full selection from an interesting mix of their many local activities.

A Short History of the Great Blackfeet Nation

Acknowledged as one of the most powerful tribes in the American northwest, the Blackfeet are a confederacy of three independent tribes presently living in Montana, USA and Alberta, Canada. The name "Blackfeet" originates from the distinctive black hue of their moccasins, either painted that colour or perhaps darkened by prairie fires.

Modern scholars believe that the Blackfeet migrated westward over three centuries ago from the northern Great Lakes region; their language belongs to the Algonkian linguistic family (centred in that region) and other aspects of their culture, such as their utensils and pottery. This westward migration is thought to have been caused by the competitive nature (among Indians in the region) of supplying French traders with sufficient animal furs and pelts.

The Blackfeet quickly assimilated in to a nomadic type of existence in the northern plains, where plentiful buffalo assured them of a strong future. A shaman or medicine man aided the hunt through the powerful use of the talisman to help lure the buffalo to the fall.

By the early 1700's, extensive trade was going on with the Midwest and East Coast settlers. Buffalo hides were traded for many different items, not the least of which were horses and guns. These two items radically changed the nature of the buffalo hunt; thus there was more time to develop more ornate cultural items, rituals, and myths to tell their stories and educate their young people.

The most sacred yearly event was the sun dance, or Medicine Lodge Ceremony. As a communal event, the Blackfeet and other Plains tribes would gather in mid-summer to fulfil vows to assure the well being of the community through the continued abundance of the buffalo. This time of prosperity and growth was soon cut short by the invasion of white settlers into Indian Territory.

Undoubtedly, the greatest devastation to the Indian people was the near extinction of the buffalo by the white settlers. Their main food source gone and not having yet taken up the concept of farming, the Blackfeet were forced with total dependence upon the Indian Agency for food. The winter of 1884 was a cruel one when over 600 Indians starved to death reducing the tribe to some 1,400 people.

To help the tribe live in the white man's world, the government and religious organisations set-up schools and other programmes to educate the Blackfeet children and help create jobs on the reservation. The aim of these ventures was to educate the Blackfeet people so that the can have their own governance and self-determination. Many of the Blackfeet have served with honour and distinctions in the armed services and their example and leadership have been example to younger generations still living on the reservation.

Native Historical Timeline

Early 1700's - Blackfeet probably living in valley of the Northern Saskatchewan River near the Eagle Hills in Canada. Hunt buffalo on foot with bows and arrows.

1730 - Blackfeet attacked by Shoshoni who are on horseback. First time the Blackfeet have seen horses which they call "elk dogs."

1730-50 - Blackfeet probably acquired their first horses in peaceful trade with their neighbours, the Flathead, Kutenai, and Nez Perce.

1780 - Hudson Bay Company builds Buckingham House on the Saskatchewan River in Canada, reaching Blackfeet country. Blackfeet obtain guns through trade.

1781 - Smallpox epidemic sweeps through Blackfeet country, killing hundreds.

1780-1805 - Blackfeet almost exterminate the Shoshoni in battles over hunting territory

1787 - Blackfeet warriors journey south toward Sante Fe. Encounter Spanish miners and steal their horses.

1806 - Meriweather Lewis (of Lewis and Clark) encounters Blackfeet (Piegan) at the junction of Two Medicine River and Badger Creek. Lewis kills one Piegan who was trying to steal a gun.

1809 - Trader Alexander Henry compiles a census of the Blackfeet, finding a total of 5,200 people among the Piegan, Blackfeet, and Blood tribes.

1824 - The Bureau of Indian Affairs established within the United States War Department.

1831 - First peaceful trade between the Americans and Blackfeet by Kenneth McKenzie.

1831 - Blackfeet horse raiders recorded at Arkansas River in southern Colorado.

1833 - Prince Maxmillian, a German scientist-explorer, and Karl Bodner, a Swiss artist, spend a month with the Blackfeet at Fort McKenzie. Maxmillian becomes the first white observer to describe the Blackfeet men's societies; Bodner paints portraits of Blackfeet leaders.

1837 - Second smallpox epidemic kills nearly 6,000 Blackfeet, two-thirds of the total population.

1844 - Blackfeet kill a trader. Traders retaliate

1846 - Father DeSmet conducts the first Catholic Mass among the Blackfeet, mainly children are baptised.

1849 - War party of 800 Blackfeet attack Assiniboine horse raiders and kill 52.

1855 - "Lame Bull's Treaty is signed. As first such peace treaty between the Blackfeet and the US Government it defines the boundaries of "The Blackfeet Nation."

1860 - White settlers begin to enter Blackfeet country.

1863 - Annuity payments from the US Government to the Blackfeet do not arrive. Blackfeet send letter of protest to Washington.

1865 - Fighting breaks out between the Blackfeet and white settlers.

1869 - Malcolm Clark killed by Piegan warriors in retaliation for the killing of Mountain Chief's brother.

1870 - Massacre on the Marias River. U.S. Soldiers mistakenly attack the camp of Heavy Runner, a friendly chief, while looking for the murderers of Clark. Over 200 killed, 140 women and children captured. Blackfeet never face the U.S. Army in battle again.

1872 - First school for Blackfeet children opened at Teton River Agency.

1874 - By act of Congress, the Blackfeet reservation boundary moved northward to Birch Creek-Marias River line. The Blackfeet are neither consulted nor remunerated.

1875 - Agent John Wood urges the Blackfeet to organise. Little Plume elected as head chief, Generous Women and White Calf as subordinate chiefs. New tribal code written.

1876 - Custer and his troops annihilated at Little Big Horn. No Blackfeet involved.

1878 - Prairie fires destroy grasslands west of Canada's Cypress Hills, driving the great buffalo herds south into Montana, never to return north again.

1882 - Blackfeet winter buffalo hunt in Montana is successful. No hint that the buffalo would disappear.

1883-84 - Starvation Winter. Buffalo herds suddenly disappear. 600 Blackfeet starve during the winter and spring. The Blackfeet become sedentary people, dependent on government rations.

1889 - First group of Blackfeet admitted to Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania.

1892 - Boarding school for the Blackfeet opens at Willow Creek, west of present-day Browning.

1893 - Completion for the Great Northern Transcontinental Railroad through Blackfeet country.

1896 - Blackfeet sell the land that is to become Glacier National Park for the sum of $1,500.00 to be paid at $150 per year for ten years.

1903 - White Calf, last head chief of the Piegan Blackfeet, dies while on a visit to Washington D.C.

1910 - U.S. Census reports that 2,268 Indians are living on the Blackfeet reservation, about the same number that lived there in 1885.

1907-12 - U.S. policy to treat the Indian reservation as property of the entire tribe is reversed in favour of a policy of allotment. Blackfeet reservation land is divided among individual Indians, each receiving 320 acres, held in trust by the government.

1920 - Blackfeet cattle herds wiped out by a severe winter. Starvation follows.

1924 - American Indians become citizens of the United States.

1934 - Congress passes the Indian Reorganisation Act. Blackfeet Tribal Council formed.

1941 - Museum of the Plains Indian opens to the public in Browning.

1968 - U.S. President, Lyndon B. Johnson's message, "The Forgotten American" advocates Indian tribal self-determination and rejection of the Federal policy of termination.

1972 - Pencil factory begins business on the Blackfeet reservation.

1978 - Earl Old Person made the chief of the Blackfeet Nation.

1978 - Indian Child Welfare Act passed by Congress, granting tribal governments authority in child custody cases.

Warning & Disclaimer

lf you choose a package or an individual item for your trip that involves a sport or activity which includes acts of skill such as skiing or golfing, for instance, or if you are taking a journey for the express purpose of watching wild creatures in their natural habitat we offer no guarantees. explicit or implied. as to performance or satisfaction.

Wildlife in its natural habitat can be dangerous and you must NEVER approach or feed any wild animal or interfere with their young. UNLESS you are given specific authorisation to do so by a qualified Park Ranger or Naturalist. and then only at your own risk. We arrange these types of trips on the express understanding that there is NEVER any guarantee that wildlife will perform to order and appear for the benefit of us mere mortals.

If you are participating in an indoor or outdoor activity of any sort you warrant that you will exercise all due care and diligence in the pursuit of the activity and that your conduct and behaviour will be bound entirely in accordance with the instructions or directions given to you by any accompanying tutor or guide or any other member of staff of the service provider.

You will, in nearly all cases, be required to sign a disclaimer or waiver of liability before you partake in any activity. We will not sell any adventure option unless you are issued with either our own Travel Insurance or you send us proof in writing that you have equal or better coverage with another insurer.