Canoeing down the Flint River, sharing a hot dog at Camp

Deer Point, pitching a tent for a weekend campout, or exploring the

dark crannies of mammoth cave... These are a few of the

experiences shared by parents and their children who are active in the

Fayette YMCA Indian Guides and Princesses.

"A parent gets to know their child better," said Shane

Borie, the program's coordinator. "It gives them one weekend a

month to get away and spend one-on-one time," he added.

Based on Native American culture, the guide and princess

program enables a parent to team-up with a son or daughter, and

partake in a smorgasbord of activities involving the customs of

their chosen tribe and the Creek Nation, the chosen name for the

Fayette group.

Recently, the Nation traveled to McMinnville, Tenn., to

explore Cumberland Caverns. Equipped with hard hats and flashlights,

the spelunkers crawled and shimmied their way through a maze of

tunnels and mouse holes, emerging triumphantly dirty.

Several times during the month, individual tribes meet to

discuss upcoming events, create crafts, learn Indian lore, play games

and socialize. At a recent meeting of the Nez Perce tribe, the

only mother-daughter group in the Nation, balancing Styrofoam

cups and plates atop their heads was the fun challenge of the night.

<!--##############