 Vancouver Youth Camp  |
Vancouver Youth Camp
Guru Kirn Kaur Khalsa
Espanola NM, U.S.A.
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to teach gatka at the Annual Sikh Youth Camp near Vancouver. British Columbia is beautiful beyond words - lush, green, cool and moist. This year the camp was held at Camp Byng, a Boy Scout facility by the beach outside Vancouver, reached by a half-hour ferry boat ride.
The camp is run by the West Coast Sikh Youth Alliance, a group of young Indian men and women interested in organizing Sikh camps so that Sikhism won’t be lost to the younger generations. Fifty young people between the ages of thirteen and eighteen attended. Many of these youngsters, though being raised as Sikhs, had little understanding of Sikh values, history, or tradition. I found this break in Sikh culture sad and puzzling at first, but I was soon inspired as I found the youngsters to be genuinely eager to learn more about their background and experience the wisdom of our Sikh teachings. Many had heard about American Sikhs and the Siri Singh Sahib, and we made it a point to clarify for them that our Guru is Siri Guru Granth Sahib, regardless of what they’ve heard... and that the Siri Singh Sahib is our spiritual teacher.
Wake up was at 5:30 each morning, which was endured as extreme torture by many of the kids. They staggered through fifteen minutes of Yoga, then read Japji Sahib, performed prakash, sang kirtan and Song of the Khalsa, took a Hukam and served Prasad. After a delicious breakfast , there were lectures by S.S.Guru Raj Kaur of Vancouver and other guest speakers on different themes pertaining to teenage years, Sikh Dharma, and life in general.
After the lecture, half the group would go to the daily yoga class and the other half to gatka. It was then my turn to try to make warriors out of them - at least bring out a little spark of warrior consciousness. A few had tried gatka before, and most had seen it in the processions around town during the Gurpurbs. Amidst a lot of groans and moans, I led them through warm ups to the beat of gatka drums. As with any large group of teenagers some shirked by with as little effort as possible, but most clicked right in sometimes with more pizzazz than skill. But little by little they learned and improved. Most importantly, they really enjoyed it, especially when the classes were spiced up with battle scenarios and stories of old.
Right after gatka, the two groups switched - I would teach gatka to S.S.Guru Raj Kaur’s yoga class, and she would lead my previous group through yoga class. Kundalini Yoga was a challenge to their bodies and minds, as they had never done anything remotely like it. The first day, many sat around giggling self consciously without trying the exercises. By the last day, however, they were not only doing yoga, but when it came to relaxation, they ALL laid down and actually relaxed!
After a well deserved lunch break, the afternoons were taken up with a great variety of exciting recreational programs - we canoed off the beach, which was a gorgeous five minute walk from the cabins, battled with paint guns, played volleyball, hiked the breathtaking wilderness, and even took to the seas (the harbor actually) on an elegant yacht cruise. After dinner, we built a campfire where we sang songs, told ghost stories, roasted marshmallows, drank hot chocolate and all those fun things.
One memorable evening I was playing "That is the Khalsa Way" on guitar, and we began breaking it down so that I would sing one verse at a time. Guru Raj Kaur would explain that piece of history, and then we would all sing the Chorus together. In my total experience, this one evening was the most touching for me. The kids were absolutely quiet and listening with such intent you could hear a pin drop. They had never heard some of these Sikh stories, and for many of them, it was an eye-opening experience. The fact that these stories were being sung in English somehow made them more reachable, and by the end of the song, they were all singing the chorus loud and proud!
By the time the camp was over, the youngsters had learned, grown, been challenged, and had fun in ways that will have a lasting and positive impact on their lives, and on their generations. As for us grownups, I was proud to have taken part in this little piece of teaching, and to have brought some of our timeless wisdom to our brothers and sisters. And, without a doubt, a couple of weeks in magnificent British Columbia was good for the soul. I hope to go back soon.