Homalco Nation hires members to be tour guides, immersing them first in a training program that includes language, song and story and learning traditional ways of life from Elders. It has become something bigger than a tour business: a way to reintroduce Homalco youth to their cultural heritage, which missionaries had tried to obliterate by forcing them to burn their regalia, masks and carvings, and banning them from holding ceremonies and practicing traditional songs and dances. On my tour, Hackett talks candidly about how returning to her people and culture through her work as a tour guide has helped her to heal from difficult circumstances she faced in her youth.

Additionally, expanding its tour season to five months a year means more sustainable employment for staff. Obbagy adds that this year the company hosted an eight-week-long Indigenous tour guide training program as an effort to not only welcome new guides into the business, but also provide them with the skills to look for work beyond the Nation.

Bringing back the salmon has brought back bears, which has brought tourism, which has brought back culture and increased employment opportunities. Everything, it seems, is connected. This relationship between economic development and tourism, however, is built on sustainability and respect for the land, something the Homalco people have practiced for hundreds of years.

“There’s a chain of events that takes place,” says Obbagy. “The Homalco people are doing their very best to manage it as responsibly as they can — create the employment and economic opportunities but also make sure that what’s here isn’t lost over time.”

A growing industry

Six months later, Homalco Wildlife and Culture tours picks up the Exceptional Outdoor Cultural Experiences award at the eighth annual International Indigenous Tourism Conference, held on the traditional and unceded territory of the Syilx Nation (Kelowna, B.C.). Tourism’s potential to strengthen connections to culture and community is a frequent point of discussion during the three-day conference. It’s an exciting time: Indigenous tourism is the fastest-growing sector in Canadian tourism, increasing by 23.2 per cent between 2014 and 2017, compared with a 12 per cent increase in overall tourism in Canada. One in three international visitors are interested in Indigenous experiences, according to data from the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), and for good reason: our planet is in turmoil and Indigenous experiences can open visitors’ eyes to better ways of living. “It’s about satisfying a deep yearning for a connection with the land,” says Brenda Baptiste, Chair of Indigenous Tourism BC.

But it’s not just about the visitor experience. Indigenous tourism, done on Indigenous peoples’ own terms—ITAC defines this as “tourism by Indigenous peoples, not about Indigenous peoples”—can also be a way of preserving culture while earning a living. It can serve both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, strengthening connections between them while also educating visitors and providing the transformative, sustainable experiences—like those offered by Homalco Tours—that today’s travellers crave.

The 8th Annual International Indigenous Tourism Conference

Each year, on the final day of the International Indigenous Tourism Conference conference, the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada and Indigenous Tourism BC recognize organizations and individuals for their outstanding achievements in tourism, both in B.C. and nationally. Nominees must be majority (at least 51 per cent) Indigenous-owned and controlled. Here’s a look at the 2019 winners.

National

Indigenous Adventure Award | This award is presented to a business that recognizes best practices in Indigenous adventure travel with a focus on responsibility and sustainability. It was awarded to Wikwemikong Tourism (Ont.), which offers experiences, including guided hikes and canoe expeditions, that reflect the cultural lifestyles and traditions of the Anishnaabek people of the Three Fires Confederacy – Ojibwe, Odawa, and Pottawatomi.

Most Inspiring Cultural Ambassador | Levy Uttaq from Igloo Tourism (Nun.), which offers Inuit-hosted Arctic adventures, was recognized as a representative of an Indigenous business who inspires those around them in the way they represent their culture to visitors.

Most Improved Business | In recognition of an Indigenous tourism business that has significantly improved, this was awarded to Site d’Interpretation Micmac de Gespeg (Que.), which explains the culture and history of the Mi’kmaq through an exhibition, tours, a recreated village and workshops.

Best Marketing Campaign | Vacances Essipit (Que.), which offers sea kayaking, hunting, fishing and bear watching on Innu lands, was recognized as an Indigenous tourism business that has planned and implemented an effective marketing campaign.

Inspiring Indigenous Culinary Award | Buffalo Point Lodge (Man.) won this award for significantly raising the profile of Indigenous cuisine and food experiences.

British Columbia

Exceptional Outdoor Cultural Experiences | Homalco Wildlife and Cultural Tours was recognized for its delivery of an Indigenous cultural experience and adventure in the outdoors.

Remarkable Indoor Cultural Experiences | St. Eugene Resort & Casino, which occupies a former residential school in Cranbrook, won for its delivery of cultural knowledge and overall guest experience.

Outstanding Indigenous Accommodations | The Lund resort at Kla ah men—built in 1905 and purchased by the Tla’amin Nation in 2016—was recognized as an excellent lodging experience that incorporates Indigenous themes.

Customer Service Award | In recognition of frontline team members in BC Indigenous tourism with exceptional customer service, this award went to Sierra Hall at Spirit Bear Lodge in the Great Bear Rainforest.