If you asked most Canadians where you’d find a place called Eeyou Istchee, they’d respond with a blank stare. And I have to admit that I didn’t know either until last summer. That’s when I learned that Eeyou Istchee is the Cree name for the traditional territory on the east side of James Bay. It translates as “the people’s land,” and it represents a chunk of Quebec about the size of Germany.

Much of Eeyou Istchee is thick bush, but the region also includes nine thriving Cree communities, four of which sit right on James Bay itself. Many of these have airports, and all but one are linked by road to the south, yet very few tourists come to this part of Canada. That’s partly because of the region’s remoteness, but it’s also because the Cree haven’t gone out of their way to encourage people to visit.

In recent years, though, that’s been changing. For nearly two decades now, the Cree have been slowly but surely developing plans to promote their territory for responsible tourism. They started by building the infrastructure needed to receive visitors — most of the nine communities have new or improved hotels and restaurants. Now the goal is to offer tours that combine cultural experiences with the area’s rich history and outstanding natural opportunities.