A young woman from the Tseshaht First Nation near Port Alberni was part of the history-making women’s rugby team which won silver this week at the Olympics.
Shalaya Valenzuela and the rest of the Senior Women’s Rugby 7s won silver, after losing to the number-one-ranked New Zealand team, which was undefeated in their gold-medal run.
Tseshaht Nation elected Chief Councillor Ken Watts congratulated Valenzuela in a formal statement shortly after the game.
He says she has brought pride and inspiration to the entire nation, as well as all Nuu-Chah-Nulth nations, and Indigenous youth, women, and girls across Canada.
He says the nation is looking forward to celebrating with her when she returns home from Paris.
