Ultra Endurance running has a new face and it’s a regional one. Largely due to the group of the local Indigenous Women’s Running Group, the Kwe Pack, (kwe is Ojibwemowin for woman) record numbers of Native runners have been participating in half marathons, 25k, marathons, and ultra races (over 26.2). They have been running together for over 4 years promoting wellness, running, healthy lifestyles, and endurance running in the Native community.
The week of November 8 is “Rock Your Mocs” week, a week to promote awareness, cultural pride, and cultural arts in and around Native American communities. To promote running and moccasin making the group coordinated moccasin making workshops as well as the run on Sunday. 76 new and experienced runners from nine different tribal communities walked and ran in Pine Valley in Cloquet.
The PBS show “Native Report” was on site conducting interviews and taking footage.
One of the group organizers, Sarah Agaton Howes says “Running on the trails is a transformative experience for many of us. This is our way of thanking our families and our communities for supporting our running, our wellness, and spend a day together doing what we love-making moccasins and running.”
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