Aboriginal Cultural Tourism has flourished throughout communities in Canada, and is progressively becoming more in demand by international and domestic visitors alike as a result of newly established Aboriginal tourism enterprises and greater marketing efforts by tourism organizations. Aboriginal Tourism comprises a wide array of tourism experiences such as cultural centres, cultural experiences, tours, hotels, resorts, festivals, casinos, campgrounds, parks, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) sites, and wineries. Each of the aforementioned tourism products has one thing in common; they are owned and/or operated in whole or in part by First Nations, Inuit or the Métis Nations who form the First Peoples of Canada.
Each new tourism venture creates employment, generates tourism revenues, and allows for the First Peoples of Canada to foster their culture and share it with the world. As an example of various Aboriginal tourism products and experiences, the Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada features “28 Significant Aboriginal Tourism Operators & Experiences”. One of Ontario’s distinctive Aboriginal tourism products is that of Moccasin Trail Tours, which offers tours and trips specializing in authentic Aboriginal culture and eco tourism in Northern Ontario. One of the excursions offered includes staying at the Cree Village Ecolodge. The Ecolodge features natural wool carpeting, all organic cotton mattresses, pillows and sheets, biodegradable hand-soaps and shampoos, and composting toilets. In Quebec, Cruise North Expeditions organizes cruise expeditions to the Arctic including tours to Baffin Island. Also out of Quebec is the Nunavik Arctic Survival Training Centre (NASTC), a leading provider of survival training and adventure travel in Arctic Canada. In this program, Inuit instructors teach critical survival skills and important lessons of living with Mother Nature. In the Northwest Territories, Aurora Village annually attracts thousands of tourists internationally. The Tepee Village attracts visitors desiring the experience of living in a tepee, learning about the culture, and of course paying witness to the famous Aurora Borealis. In Manitoba, the City of Winnipeg hosts the Manitou Ahbee festival, which attracts thousands every year. The week long event features an international powwow competition, as well as an educational component geared towards participation and learning. On the West Coast of British Columbia on Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), a 53,000 square foot cultural centre was built in 2007. The Centre is located at the old sea village of Kaay Llnagaay and contains the Haida Gwaii Museum, Bill Reid Teaching Centre, the Carving Shed, the Performing House, the Canoe House, exhibition and meeting space, a gift shop and a small restaurant/café. Through Haida Expeditions Ltd., visitors to Haida Gwaii can choose from tours of Gwaii Haanas National Park (a UNESCO site), saltwater fishing, and/or scenic custom tours with Haida tour guides. The combined Nk’Mip Resort and Desert Interpretive Centre in Osoyoos, British Columbia has developed into a resort destination in recent years. The resort features a hotel, campground, winery, restaurant, golf course and cultural centre. The Nk’Mip Cellars wine label has also generated awareness of the destination, with winery and vineyard tours becoming increasingly popular throughout the Okanagan Valley.
With the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in the relative near future, Canada will soon be given the opportunity to boast all that it is has to offer within an international spotlight. The 2010 Games will certainly be a year of opportunity for Canada to showcase its Aboriginal Cultural and tourism products. As indicated by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the Games will be held on the traditional and shared traditional territories of the Lil’wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. In light of the 2010 Games, the Four Host First Nations Society was formed with their mission statement of “representing the Nations in order to ensure that the Games are successful and that the Nations’ languages, traditions, protocols and cultures are meaningfully acknowledged, respected, and represented in the planning, staging and hosting of the Games”. Subsequent to the formation of the society, the BC Aboriginal Tourism Association was granted $5 million dollars by the Province of British Columbia to support the development and marketing of Aboriginal tourism businesses, training and skills development, in addition to fostering community economic development and cultural preservation. As a result of the interest in Aboriginal Tourism by the Provincial government, various training programs have been implemented, such as the current Vancouver Community College Aboriginal Culinary Program. Students of the program are learning to prepare Aboriginal inspired dishes using indigenous ingredients. These very students will also be assisting in the 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion during the 2010 Vancouver Games where visitors will be able to sample Aboriginal foods in addition to experiencing art, dances and much more.
With the rapidly approaching 2010 Vancouver Olympic & Paralympic Games, Canada will have the opportunity to create stronger awareness and to show how uniquely engaging Canadian Aboriginal tourism experiences can be relative to tourist experiences in other countries. Aboriginal Tourism is in its growth stages relative to other types of tourism in Canada, and yet has already proven to be an integral part of Canada’s tourism portfolio presenting endless opportunities.
Cindy Schoenauer, Consultant
PKF Consulting Inc. Vancouver
