mułaa, Rising Tide Surf Society

We are an Indigenous and community-led initiative, bringing together nuučaan̓uł (nuu-chah-nulth) youth and mentors who want to change the narrative around surfing in nuučaan̓uł territory.

Our programming aims to reconnect youth to their territories through surf and ocean-based programming rooted in culture, mentorship, skill-building and free-play. In doing so, we support the healing of intergenerational trauma, promote self-determination, and encourage mental, physical, and cultural wellbeing. Our programming addresses systemic barriers such as lack of representation, access to gear and transportation, and provides safe, affirming spaces for identity exploration and self-expression.

Our long-term vision is to cultivate a generation of Indigenous youth who feel deeply connected to their lands and waters and are empowered as future leaders in their community. We believe that when young people see themselves represented in spaces of recreation and leadership, it opens up possibilities for what they believe is achievable.

mułaa, translates to "Rising Tide" in the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ (tla-o-qui-aht) language, and we operate on the unceded, ancestral homelands of the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ First Nation.

The nuučaan̓uł Peoples and the Ocean

nuučaan̓uł loosely translates to “all along the mountains and the sea”, and spans an area that is now known as the southwest coast of Vancouver Island.

The nuučaan̓uł have always had a strong connection to the ocean. The ocean was the primary source of food and provided a wide variety of seafood and fish. It also was an important form of travel and the nuučaan̓uł are known widely for their canoe making and journey skills.

How Support Helps

By supporting this campaign, you are supporting costs for surf gear and equipment, transportation, nuučaan̓uł language lessons, and surf instruction from adult mentors who practice with cultural humility and have fostered relationships with our youth over several years.

Thank you to the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ Nation for providing the venue located in the community of Esowista, the healthy post-surf snacks, and the staff to help make this surf dream possible.

Decolonizing Surfing

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.

What Your Support Buys

Collective community support for mułaa can go a long way!

$10 – Helps provide post-surf snacks for a participant

$25 – Supports surf equipment costs

$50 – Helps transport youth that live in remote communities

$100 – Supports costs for a surf instructor for one lesson

$200 – Supports summer camp costs for one youth

$500 – Supports summer camp transportation for the team to surf at other beaches!

Visit our website www.risingtidesurf.com for more information.

Read more about our surf team in the Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper here .

Photo Credit to Melissa Renwick and Ivan Wells Jr.