By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
Thieves have struck the Osoyoos Indian Band’s (OIB) youth archery program on Wednesday night making off with 20 youth bows and six dozen feathered arrows in carrying cases from a locked trailer near Senpaq’cin School.
“Our community is pretty upset,” says Sonya Jensen OIB youth coordinator and coach of the Twisted Arrows archery program when speaking with the Times Chronicle.
She says they’ve estimated the value of the archery equipment at about $3,000. To make matters worse Jensen said they had only recently acquired the equipment about two weeks ago after securing a grant.
A young archer poses with his “prey”.
But it’s less about the monetary value than the disruption to the popular youth program which has nearly 20 regular archers from age 7 to adult.
The OIB community has run a successful youth archery group for about 10 years, sending their members to compete in provincials, nationals and the North American indigenous games.
“It blows my mind that someone would even think about stealing kids’ bows. Like, if they knew it’s for youth programs . . . it’s just not right,” she says.
Jensen, who is also an elected council member for the OIB, said OIB Chief Clarence Louie gave directions to get the equipment replaced noting the program is important and it needs to continue for the kids.
She also says the community has come together around the theft and has received several phone calls offering to contribute to the replacement cost.
Photos of the bows that were stolen. Anyone with information is asked to contact Sonya Jensen at 250-488-6961.
Jensen said the Indigenous RCMP Liason was contacted and he was able to find three of the bows on a back trail, suggesting the culprits got away on foot. Surveillance footage from the school’s camera has been turned over and she’s also requested to view it in case she recognizes the culprits.
Jensen said they had been doing archery workshops where they go into other communities and showcase the different aspects of the sport. “We had all our equipment in our utility trailers because we just came back from a weekend of workshops.
“We hadn’t moved our equipment indoors yet because we weren’t thinking anything would happen to it but they just busted the locks and took what they wanted.”
She hasn’t seen much of a market for used archery equipment online but the thieves “possibly think that it can be sold, I don’t know.”
OIB youth archers after returning from the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) – (left to right) Gus Holmstrom, Terrel Frezie-Baptiste, Cikquilx Hall-Andrew, Tikn Hall-Andrew.
Just last August four OIB youth competed in the archery section of the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) in Halifax. Cikquilx Hall-Andrew, won Gold in the 16 and under Male Barebow category.
The three other members of the team were Terrel Frezie-Baptiste who placed fourth in the 19U Compound Bow category. Gus Holmstrom, the youngest member of the team placed fifth in the 16U Male Compound Bow and Tikn Hall-Andrew was unable to compete in the 19U Male barebow category due to a shoulder injury.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Sonya Jensen at 250-488-6961.
