Indigenous tourism taught me some eye-opening things – The Star

Nov. 21, 2024

For travellers who want to learn, Winnipeg offers many Indigenous cultural landmarks. It’s not where you visit, but the spirit in which you come that’s key.

Nothing has helped me see the world in a clearer way than actually getting out and seeing it. Learning about the history of a place through its people, cultural traditions and landscape is incredibly enriching, and for me the most profound example of this has been the Indigenous tourism experiences I’ve had.

On a trip to Clayoquot Sound off Vancouver Island, I learned that Canada’s Indigenous Peoples have a deep, reciprocal relationship with the land that emphasizes stewardship and sustainability. During the anti-logging protests of the ’80s and ’90s, the First Nations here were pivotal in saving old-growth forests in their traditional territories.

On Manitoulin Island, I visited the Wiikwemkoong First Nation, where one of the first residential schools in northern Ontario once operated. I learned about the enduring effects of the Indian Act and these schools, which took Indigenous children from their families as part of a systematic attempt to destroy Aboriginal cultures.