About

Mission Statement

Rising Tide Surf Society is an Indigenous and community-led organization, with the overall mandate of providing greater access to wellness, surf education and nature-based therapy to nuučaan̓uł youth. Our mission is to change the narrative around surfing in nuučaan̓uł territories, support youths' personal journeys, and increase access to the healing force of their ancestral homelands and waters. This is carried out by Indigenous youth and mentors from the community in an integrated leadership approach.

Our mission also includes building community through bringing together families in a safe space and fostering active engagement in cultural learning. mułaa strives to integrate nuučaan̓uł language and cultural practices into all programming to holistically support the youth's connection to their culture and environment. By creating a space for healing and empowerment, Rising Tide produces positive, lasting impacts on social development of youth, and the resilience of communities, lands and waters in nuučaan̓uł territories.

The wellness of our Surf Team, community, and our nuučaan̓uł homelands will be the forefront of our actions. It is critical that cultural safety, cultural humility and respect are practiced at all times. Accordingly, we have established themes of resilience and community involvement so that activities and actions contribute to decolonization and cultural revitilization. While we appreciate community involvement and intersectionality, participation is not for outside community members who are still new in their learnings on Indigenous self-determination and have not read the TRC 94 Calls to Action. Please see “Responsibilities and Expectations of Community Members” for more details.

Why This Work Matters

Responding to Youth Voices & Community Needs

Indigenous youth in our region face serious challenges due to:

Intergenerational impacts of colonization, resulting in disproportionately higher rates of physical and mental illness among Indigenous youth versus their non-Indigenous peers.
Geographical isolation of remote communities and lack of consistent youth programming
High costs and lack of access to equipment and transportation
Minimal Indigenous representation in local surf culture, resulting in fewer Indigenous youth feeling safe taking up space in the water.

Through a community engagement session in 2019, Rising Tide was established because youth told us they need more: more connection to culture, to language, to water, and to community.

Despite Tofino’s global surf reputation, surfing on nuučaan̓uł homelands has been largely white-dominated. mułaa is proud to be the first Indigenous-led surf program in Canada advancing racial equity and healing through ocean-based wellness. As the first organization within the Canadian surf landscape to champion racial equity in the sport, mułaa is proud to support a broader representation of Indigenous people in the water, while fostering a multitude of social development benefits through trauma-informed mentorship, community-building, and a deepening connection to the healing powers of the ocean.

This work responds to the vision of Indigenous youth in nuučaan̓uł territories to become better able to access surfing and the wellness benefits it provides through physical activity, peer and nature connection, leadership development and community building. As our work has grown and evolved, we have continued to ensure that the youth’s voices are represented throughout our strategic planning and program delivery.

Programming Details

Core Program Pillars Include:

Weekly Surf Sessions: Held in Spring, Summer, and Fall with certified surf coaches and trauma-informed practices, including lifesaving courses in summer.
Cultural Learning: nuučaan̓uł language, teachings, and values delivered by Indigenous knowledge keepers and experts woven throughout all programming.
Community Engagement: outreach activities such as bringing our youth to surf competitions, film festivals and markets to promote our program
Youth Leadership: Indigenous youth take active roles in planning, guiding, and mentoring others
Relationship building: We host youth groups from other nations across British Columbia, promoting Indigenous knowledge and language exchange in the upcoming generation through outdoor recreation.

mułaa is open to all nuučaan̓uł and Indigenous Peoples, with a focus on youth (check FAQ for age suggestions). The nuučaan̓uł are young at heart and our team is inclusive of all. mułaa is funded through generous community donations and small grants. To learn more about how you can support, see here. All activities are grounded in resilience, cultural safety, and decolonizing approaches.

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