About Us
Guided through visions given by the spirit of our Ancestors and a deep-rooted kinship with our sister organization - the Turtle Lodge (Sagkeeng, Manitoba) - we have built the Healing House.
For the betterment of all future generations and those living now, we are a house of knowledge, a place of healing, and stewards of the land that we are all responsible for.
President
My name is Jenise Bob
From St’át’imc Nation, Xaxli’p Reserve, I was raised in ceremony; when I became a Woman I started learning our culture and traditional songs. Ceremonies (sweats, pipe, sun dances, potlatches) and singing (since the age of 12) have played a tremendous role in my life. Pow wows were an important learning tool for me in conjunction of traditional schooling.
My father is an important guide in my life and will always be; my children will also follow under my guidance directed by the beauty of our ceremony and dancing. Youth and our children are important passions that I plan to spend on contributing with my experience and knowledge; our healing house is a gift to this philosophy.
Director
My name is Christian Ahrenkiel
I was born and raised on the prairies of Colorado and it is this land that kindled my passion for fishing, hunting, and our environment. I moved to St’at’imc Territory in 2020 where I became an adopted member of the Bob family and began working with St'at'imc communities in the health, governance, and administration fields. I'm better known as Jenise's little sama7 brother and her and I were two of the founding directors of the Wheel of Life Society and have worked together to support the mission of our family and organization ever since.
Founder
Chief Darrell Bob
From a small farmhouse in St'at'imc Nation, with no electricity or running water, I was raised understanding the importance of our traditional knowledge and language, while tending to 5 gardens, fruit trees, and hay fields sprawled through the Xaxli'p reserves. My grandparents raised me and we kept busy tending to the land and fishing (canning, storing, drying) through my growing years. In 2006, I became a Chief of the Xaxli'p community for 4 years, then again from 2014 to 2018 and then served my final term from 2022 to 2026. In 2009, I was honored by the St'at'imc Nations Chiefs to help initiate the International Indigenous Leadership Gathering in Lillooet, BC; for 8 years I continued working on this beautiful project encompassing spiritual leaders, Elders, healers, and educators of our Sacred teachings and Traditional ways. It is an absolute honor to work for our Nation on both the traditional and spiritual levels. I look forward to this new journey with our Healing House & Wheel of Life Society.
Founder
Theresa Fenton-Bob
My name is Theresa Grace Fenton-Bob. I’m a sister, aunty, mother, grandmother, and cousin. I was born in Pavilion BC to the late Evelyn (Edwards) Fenton of Pavilion and the late Henry Charles Fenton from High Bar BC. I’m married to Chief Darrell Bob of Xaxli’p. We have 6 sons and 1 daughter and 20 grandchildren. I’ve been on my healing journey for 40+ years now. I’ve went to treatment centres and found a traditional healer whom we invited to the International Indigenous Leadership Gather when it started in 2010; his name was late Frank Manyhorses.
It was through Franks teaching I’ve come to understand all about self, and the only one responsible for healing self is self. It was thru a ceremony called Walking the Absolute Truth which helped me release all my childhood hurts, traumas. The tools he provided are some of what I’m still using today, self clearing, water ceremony, sweat ceremony. As most of us know that our life long journey is a never ending healing journey. Finding a spiritual helper is the first step on learning who we are and reconnecting to our ancestors and Mother Earth. AMR