As part of the next generation of knowledge keepers, I have made it my mission to learn more about the culture and history of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Since I've been on this journey to reconnect with my Mohawk, Turtle Clan background and become more active in my community, I’ve realized it can sometimes be hard to find the cultural resources that are needed to accomplish this. As I have just started to formulate relationships within my community, it can be difficult to access traditional knowledge such as languages, cultural practices and history.

Through tourism, Indigenous communities have invited Canadians and other travelers to experience and engage with Indigenous environments, cultural practices, heritage and knowledge. The educational aspect of tourism has been able to create a better understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada. For many years Indigenous tourism did not incorporate Indigenous voices, making it difficult for Canadians to access authentic Indigenous experiences, perspectives and cultural information.

For example, investigative journalist Francesca Fionda found that many Indigenous-themed items in Vancouver souvenir shops were fake. This, in turn, can contribute to the increase of lost wages for authentic Indigenous artists—causing a problematic environment for these artists. In contrast, shops that collaborated with Indigenous Peoples gave credit and compensation to the artists.

Jason Waub-Addick Johnston, who is Anishinaubae from Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation and the Ontario representative on the board of directors at the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), said Indigenous perspectives have been neglected within the tourism industry in the past.

“Tourism has been around for a long time and for most of that time in Canada, the Indigenous perspective was presented in a very Eurocentric way, in that the Indigenous perspective pretty much didn’t exist,” said Johnston. “There were ideas about who Indigenous people are, what they do, what they feel and what cultures and customs they have.”

Johnston also said Indigenous tourism was presented through a pan-Indigenous lens, meaning the tourism industry perpetuated the idea that all Indigenous Peoples are the same. This is an example of how the tourism industry in Canada was approached through a Eurocentric perspective, similar to the history of Canada and how it became a country.

When European settlers arrived at the coasts of the land now known as Canada, they looked upon a seemingly untouched gold mine full of resources waiting to be plucked. The Indigenous Peoples have been on this land since time immemorial—long before the early European settlers arrived—and they also recognized that their land had much to offer. When they first arrived, Indigenous communities welcomed them as long as the settlers were to be respectful. Indigenous Peoples even helped their new neighbors adapt to the land and its hardships.

However, as the nation continued to see more European immigration from the early 1500s and on, Indigenous Peoples were forcibly removed from their traditional land and cut off from resources, according to First Nations in Canada. The relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people became tarnished with greed and power.

As colonization and assimilation became a forced reality for Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous voices and perspectives were pushed aside and silenced. Johnston said that the Euro-Canadian view of Indigenous Peoples and communities was based on outsider knowledge and stereotypes.

However, within recent years many Canadians have become enlightened about Indigenous Peoples' history, which the government has historically attempted to conceal.

More Canadians are becoming interested in close contact with Indigenous cultures and are seeking out educational tourism experiences that provide access to traditional and authentic Indigenous perspectives, cultural practices, knowledge, heritage and history, according to Susanna Heldt Cassel and Teresa Miranda Maureira’s article ‘ Performing identity and culture in Indigenous tourism - a study of Indigenous communities in Québec, Canada’ from the Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change.

As Indigenous tourism continues to grow, it is important to consider the positive and negative impacts the industry can have on communities and individuals involved.

Cassel and Maureira explored the impacts of Indigenous tourism within host communities, saying that tourism is advertised as positive for economic, social and cultural development. However, it can also be hard to navigate due to the amount of stereotypes and misconceptions directed toward Indigenous Peoples. “The interaction between hosts and guests in tourism then not only becomes a transaction of money, but also involves the exchange of expectations, stereotypes and expressions of identity and culture,” the article noted. “And both groups are affected by each other.”

Organizations like the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) are making it easier to find educational resources and access tourism experiences. The ITAC launched a new website called Destination Indigenous in 2020, a Canada-wide vacation planner for anyone who's interested in Indigenous tourism experiences.

Johnston discussed a well-known saying in Indigenous tourism: “Nothing about us, without us.” This touches on the idea that Indigenous tourism can not exist without Indigenous voices and perspectives, he said.

“There was a very big demand for what would be considered Indigenous tourism but it was really people's misconceptions about who Indigenous people are, being backed up by various non-Indigenous organizations,” said Johnston. “These perpetuated stereotypes and misconceptions really did a lot of harm in the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous Peoples.”

Without organizations like ITAC and Indigenous-run businesses, the Indigenous tourism industry perpetuated stereotypes and misconceptions about Indigenous Peoples, which defeats the educational benefit of tourism experiences. It also made it harder for Canadians to access authentic Indigenous tourism experiences. Johnston discussed that it was hard for people to tell if organizations were genuine, because many non-Indigenous tourism organizations would pose as authentic.

As more Indigenous-run tourism organizations like ITAC join the industry, the Indigenous tourism sector is evolving and becoming more authentic, as Indigenous cultures are now being presented from an Indigenous perspective. Johnston said authentic Indigenous tourism can provide economic and cultural opportunities.

“There are clear economic benefits from tourism bringing money into the communities, supporting businesses and artists,” said Johnston.

Authentic Indigenous tourism has also provided Indigenous communities with control on how their cultures are presented, which is helping to diminish the pan-Indigenous lens.

“Indigenous people need to be in control of Indigenous tourism, to present their cultures in a way that highlights that we are all different,” said Johnston.

Unauthentic Indigenous tourism can spread misconceptions and stereotypes and has proven to damage the relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Authentic Indigenous tourism provides Canadians with opportunities to educate themselves and learn about Indigenous cultures, languages, perspectives, and history. Tourism allows for Indigenous people and communities to share their cultures, history and languages themselves, creating a deeper connection and understanding between themselves and outsiders.

If Canadians participate in Indigenous tourism experiences it can help abolish the misconceptions and stereotypes, while fostering better relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

Authentic Indigenous experiences can also provide learning opportunities for Indigenous-identifying youth and young adults, who are on a journey to reconnect with their cultures and languages.

According to Cassel and Maureira, tourism can inspire people within the community to reconnect with traditional languages and cultures. They found involvement in tourism encouraged Indigenous community members to learn more about their languages and cultures.

Johnston talked about how valuable it was for Indigenous communities, specifically youth, to have the opportunity to represent themselves and their cultures as they reflect on their identities.

“Being able to promote and represent ourselves, from our own culture, our own perspectives and our own people, without having to fight back against stereotypes, is beneficial to the community and to the youth, because it helps us see ourselves for who we are,” said Johnston. “We are strong, resilient people with amazing cultures, languages and histories we are proud to share.”

I believe that Indigenous tourism is a powerful tool because it encourages more people to connect with the cultures, languages and histories that the Canadian government tried to destroy. Indigenous youth like myself can find resources through organizations like ITAC to reconnect with our heritage and participate in the resurgence of Indigenous cultures.

As citizens of a multicultural nation, it is important to understand and celebrate the diversity of our people. Indigenous tourism is a way for Canadians to learn about Indigenous cultures, from Indigenous voices and perspectives. To understand our history is to forge a pathway that will lead us to a better future for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

First, we must listen to each other in hopes of understanding one another.