ANTIGUA & BARBUDA TOURISM AUTHORITY

Two members of Team Antigua Island Girls — the all-female rowing team that made history crossing the Atlantic in 2018 and the Pacific in 2023 — recently carried their oars to Canadian waters, this time not in competition but in cultural exchange.

Christal Clashing and Kevinia Francis were invited as guests of honour by the Okanagan Nation to join the 2025 edition of the Pulling Together Canoe Journey, a sacred event rooted in tradition, healing, and community. Their participation was made possible through sponsorship from the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority’s Canada Office, which positioned the duo as cultural ambassadors for their homeland.

“The Canoe Journey is more than just an event. It’s a sacred experience rooted in culture, history, and healing,” said Francis. “Being invited into that space is deeply meaningful to us.”

Over 300 participants from across Canada took part in the weeklong journey, paddling traditional West Coast canoes and strengthening bonds between First Nations communities. Clashing and Francis joined the Pauquachin Nation’s canoe at the invitation of Max Henry and Betty-Jean Kruger of the Okanagan Nation, gaining firsthand insight into Indigenous traditions and values.

“During the Pulling Together journey, we interacted with both interior First Nations, like the Okanagan, and coastal First Nations peoples, like the Pauquachin Nation. So much of their story resonates with ours,” Clashing reflected. “The way they hold space for their ancestors, protect their traditions, and honour their connection to land and water… even though we come from different parts of the world, it reminds us that while our waters may be different, the values that guide us are often similar.”

The invitation came after Canada`s First Nations became familiar with the Island Girls through their advocacy and charitable work on behalf of Antigua and Barbuda. Their humanitarian efforts were recently recognized at home with the Gold Plaque of the Most Precious Order of Princely Heritage for Humanitarian Endeavours.

As part of their cultural exchange, the rowers shared symbolic gifts provided by the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority and extended an open invitation for First Nations communities to visit Antigua and Barbuda.

“The Tourism Authority was proud to support Christal and Kevinia`s journey,” said the Authority’s Canada Office in a statement. “By building bridges across oceans, this exchange honours the shared values of resilience, heritage, and community that unite Indigenous and Caribbean peoples.”

For the Island Girls, it was another milestone in a journey that began on the open seas but continues in the realm of cultural diplomacy — one stroke at a time.