Indigenous Tourism in Canada is Lacking, and Here’s Why

Last Updated on August 24, 2023

Canada is a beautiful and diverse country. We have everything from wild mountains to cosmopolitan cities. But why isn’t there Indigenous tourism in Canada? 

On the surface, Canada seems like a great place. And, well – it is. I have been incredibly privileged to be born into Canadian nationality. I’ve had many benefits growing up in Canada, like access to healthcare, education, and jobs, to name a few. But my experience is not a universally Canadian experience.

Canada has a dark history of colonialism. And evidence of this history persists today. The Indigenous populations of Canada continue to experience systemic marginalization, prejudice, and racism.

In northern communities, many Indigenous people still lack access to basic amenities like running water and heated homes. In urban areas, Indigenous people are systemically at a disadvantage to accessing jobs, healthcare, homes, and other essentials.

When you think of Canada, you think of majestic mountains, ski resorts, cosmopolitan cities and maybe Anne of Green Gables. But this “brand” that Canada presents to the global stage is only a part of a long and complicated story – and it doesn’t include Indigenous tourism. 

In my travels around the world, I’ve noticed that non-Canadians tend to know very little about the Indigenous history of Canada and the current state of reconciliation (or lack thereof).

And much of this could be because Canada’s Indigenous populations are not represented well in the media, or in the Canadian tourism industry. 

Recently, the National Post published an article in which author Bert Archers suggests that Canada has a tourism problem that can only be fixed by embracing Indigenous culture.

Archers argues that Canada’s “branding” as a destination is completely void of Indigenous culture, and that incorporating Indigenous culture would boost tourism, support Indigenous communities, and improve relations between the settlers and Indigenous communities.

I was captivated by his argument for Indigenous tourism in Canada, but I felt it was missing some context. 

So to understand why Canada’s tourism “brand” is lacking Indigenous representation, I spoke with Ryan McMahon. He’s an Anishinaabe writer, comedian, creator, and podcaster, known for hosting Canadaland’s series Thunder Bay, which covered the city of Thunder Bay’s high rate of hate crimes and homicides against Indigenous youth. Ryan and I chatted for an episode of my podcast, Curious Tourism.

You can listen to the episode here, or read on. 

Understanding the status of First Nations in Canada

Before diving into Indigenous tourism, it’s important to understand the current status of Indigenous people in Canada, and the challenges that they face. At the moment, there are several key issues that contribute to systemic disadvantaging of the Indigenous populations in Canada. 

The issues that are considered the most pressing (at this moment) include poorer access to health care, clean water, and education, lower income levels, inadequate access to housing, crowded living conditions, higher rates of unemployment and higher rates of incarceration.

Canadian Indigenous children are 3 to 4 times more likely to die from unintentional injury, and the rate of suicide amongst Indigenous youth is one of the highest in the world: 11 times higher than the Canadian national average.  

Read 8 key issues for Indigenous Peoples in Canada for more information regarding these issues.

These issues are all connected to the legacy of European colonialism in Canada, which was  the starting point for creating “Canada” as a country. Which brings me to another important part of understanding the status of Indigenous people in Canada. The Indian Act. 

Created in 1876, the Indian Act gave Canada a coordinated approach to Indigenous policy. It played a key role in the distribution of land (amongst colonial Europeans), replacing traditional Native names for “easier” identification and changing traditional forms of government.

The Indian Act was also responsible for creating the reserves in Canada (dispossessing Indigenous peoples of their land), for starting the Residential School system, and denying Indigenous women their status, and Indigenous culture and traditions were ruled illegal.

Read 21 Things You May Not Have Known About the Indian Act for more on the impact of this document.

Today the Canadian government is attempting to rectify the damage caused by the Indian Act through reconciliation – a process that aims to establish and maintain a mutually respectful relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples in this country. 

According to Ryan McMahon, reconciliation in Canada requires more than just mutual respect. “We call it reconciliation, or decolonization, or whatever other buzzword, but to me, it is simply re-education,” he told me.

“Right now in Canada,” he says, “we are going through a period of re-education, evident in the overhaul of school curriculums that is currently happening, evident in the news media which covers Indigenous issues more than it ever has before, and evident in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.”

But despite this shift towards re-education, McMahon emphasizes that things are frankly, still shit. “There’s just been a national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women in this country,” he says, “do tourists want to come over to Canada and discover that? Do they want to come on to one of our reserves and discover we don’t have clean drinking water? No. They don’t.”  

Despite this, Ryan has hope for the future. He tells me that we are experiencing a unique phase of cultural and societal change and we’re all very lucky to live through it. When he looks at how his Ojibwe daughters are treated in school, and how they navigate their Indigenous identities within the setting of a settler culture, he sees improvement.

“The conversations young people are having today in Canada are wildly different than the ones I had when I was a kid,” he tells me. “Today, Canada’s young people expect leaders to think about decolonization. They expect leaders to continue to push forward on reconciliation, to make space for Indigenous and non Indigenous youth to come together to learn about these things mutually.” 

So what would “Indigenous tourism” in Canada mean?

When I ask Ryan what he thinks about the concept of Indigenous tourism in Canada, he replies with a key question: “Why, and how?” And it’s important to ask this, because there are so many ways that Indigenous tourism could get it wrong. 

“If it’s to have us dress up in our Indian clothes and sing our songs for tourists in our war paint, then Indigenous tourism is an absolute no,” says Ryan. “But if Indigenous tourism in Canada aimed to correct the record, share our humanity, and what we love about this place we call Canada – then absolutely.” 

Ryan tells me that in his experience working with Canadians who are experiencing Indigenous cultures for the first time, he witnesses a lot of inhumane treatment. For example, he tells me that at pow wows he constantly has to remind Canadians that they can’t walk up to dancers and touch their regalias.

Regalias aren’t costumes. “This behaviour shows that there’s still a disconnect between our humanity and the visitor.” This othering that Ryan has witnessed has been a problem since settlers first arrived in Canada. 

If Indigenous tourism were to be embraced in Canada, Ryan says it would have to be under Indigenous terms, and Indigenous led – in close partnership with Indigenous communities. If Indigenous tourism were to be approached this way, it would represent another opportunity for reconciliation. 

The branding of Canada as a nation could signal a national celebration of Indigenous culture

When thinking about tourism it’s important to acknowledge that simply put, tourism is  marketing. It markets a place as worth visiting, be that for the culture, the landscape, the food, or other aspects. And to market a place as worth visiting, a brand is cultivated. 

At this moment, Canada’s Indigenous peoples have little to no presence in the Canadian tourism brand. For example, The Canada Guide points to nature, winter sports, our cities, and our dollar as the top reasons a tourist should come to Canada – there’s no mention of Canada’s cultural diversity or Indigenous presence. 

If Canadian tourism shifted to include Indigenous peoples, culture, and history, it would signal a national celebration of Indigenous culture, Because then we’re saying outwards that this is what we’re proud of: our Indigenous heritage. And this is a reason to come to Canada. 

In Archer’s National Post article, he points to New Zealand as an example of a country that has highlighted Indigenous history and education as a selling point of their national identity.

Archers explains that Maori culture is present in many aspects of New Zealand’s tourism brand, beginning with their national airline. Air New Zealand has a stylized Maori fern symbol as its corporate logo, and passengers are welcomed on board each flight using the word “Kiora,” which is Maori for hello.

“This is in no small part because of government support,” Archer writes. “New Zealand prioritizes visitor engagement with local culture, and funds its Maori tourism agency with $1.5 million a year. …The payoff is huge: New Zealand’s Maori-based tourism is worth $5 billion a year.

And it is perhaps not entirely coincidental that their place on that Tourism Council ranking is 58, 102 spots ahead of [Canada].” Archers points to how including Indigenous peoples in New Zealand’s “brand” does more than just signal their inclusion in the country’s national identity. There are economic gains, too.

What hurdles does Canada need to overcome before we embrace Indigenous tourism?

When Ryan and I discuss the success of Indigenous tourism in New Zealand, he points out a difference that is important to recognize: Canada’s Indian Act limits Indigenous businesses, and because of this, he worries about where the money invested in Indigenous tourism would go. 

Ryan briefly explains the limitations of the Indian Act:

“In Canada, to set up a business, you first need equity, and you likely need loans to support the business start up. And this raises problems for Indigenous businesses. For example, on First Nations reserves people don’t own their homes – that’s against the Indian Act. As a result, many people living on reserves do not have the equity they need to start a business. Indigenous people don’t have the legacy of parents that have equity built up in their homes, and we don’t have inheritances.” 

The infrastructure of First Nations Reserves presents another hurdle. Reserves were pockets of land, reserved for the Indians. “There we could be pushed out of sight, mind, and earshot of settler communities,” Ryan tells me. “These communities were pushed away from a main water source and other resources.

This was by design. These are barriers that were created by colonialism, and now to overcome them will be challenging, and expensive, because reserves aren’t accessible and they lack infrastructure. 

Because First Nations have economic and infrastructure barriers in starting businesses, there are not many existing businesses for the Canadian government to invest in – and so where would funds for Indigenous tourism go? It comes down to one point: The foundation of Canada is built on this reserve system and the Indian Act. These systems present barriers that must be addressed. 

Indigenous communities are concerned about the ecological impact of tourism

Another major concern amongst Canadian First Nations when discussing Indigenous tourism is the impact that tourism would have ecologically. The concern is rooted in experience. Ryan tells me that the Petroglyphs Provincial Park in Peterborough, Ontario is struggling with damage caused by campers and hikers. 

“Garbage and glass is left behind on our ancient and sacred sites,” he explains. And in seeing this, First Nations realized that once you share with the world these sacred sites, you risk the safety of those sites. As a result, Indigenous communities are carefully wondering what to share with Canada, and what to keep to themselves.

Another challenge for Indigenous tourism is Canada’s expansive geography 

In 2016, two out of three people (66%) lived within 100 kilometres of the southern Canada–United States border, an area that represents about 4% of Canada’s territory. Canada is massive – and despite the First Nations reserves that exist in northern Canada there is not enough infrastructure to service travel to those regions.

“So, how about we start with existing infrastructures – Provincial and National Parks,” Ryan suggests. “Lets overhaul the stories that these parks tell. Banff for example, that is Treaty 7 land. Indigenous people guided the first settlers and explorers through there – and there’s no way those settlers would have survived otherwise. But we don’t see those names. Instead, the streets are named after these brave white men who coerced Indigenous folks to lead them through.” 

A starting point for including Indigenous presence in Canada’s tourism would be to simply include them in the tourism that already exists here. All that said, Banff (and much of British Columbia) is doing a better job than other parts of Canada. The Indigenous names are included with colonial names on signage. This means that in British Columbia, Indigenous presence can at least be felt. 

The same can’t be said for Niagara Falls, another popular tourist destination in Ontario. “How can you visit Niagara Falls and not know the story of the Indigenous people that were there? The Treaty of Niagara was signed there. Indigenous people have contributed to so much of the history of that region, and yet, all you find there are casinos and quirky museums. You can’t find an authentic dreamcatcher or beadwork there.” 

Because Canada’s expansive geography makes infrastructure a challenge, the most accessible starting point would be the already existing tourism sites in Canada. By introducing Indigenous tourism to those sites, Canada could slowly (but surely) introduce the narrative and history of First Nations people into the brand, and identity, of Canada. 

Indigenous tourism is about celebrating Canada’s Indigenous heritage

Indigenous tourism in Canada would be about more than just Indigenous led tours and experiences. It would signal a celebration of Canada’s Indigenous heritage. By including First Peoples in Canada’s national “branding,” Canadians would signal to the rest of the world that we are proud of our country’s Indigenous culture.  

When I share this thought with Ryan, he tells me: 

“Every kid in high school dreams about filling up a backpack full of tee shirts and euros and getting a train pass to go across Europe to discover themselves before they move on to the next chapter of their lives. But I argue that that same diversity, the same type of celebration of food and languages and history is right here within these borders. We haven’t even started to scratch the surface yet in the Indigenous context.”

As exciting as this prospect is, Ryan warns that celebrating the diversity, and richness of culture and language found in Canada’s Indigenous nations from coast to coast will take time.  

“Like with anything under the guise of reconciliation,” he tells me, “we have to take the long way there. We have to take our time. We have to make mistakes, we have to figure out the best way forward rather than just fast forward to the celebration.” 

Including Indigenous history, stories, food, and culture as a part of the Canadian brand could signal a celebration of our Indigenous heritage. But it would require Canadians to acknowledge Indigenous peoples as the integral basis of Canadian identity, first. 

“I do believe that one day tourism will be an economic game changer for Indigenous peoples in Canada,” Ryan tells me.  “How and when we get there will take some figuring out, but I look forward to inviting people from around the world to see us, visit us, eat with us. There will be food, song, dance, and it will be beautiful. We will show you the rich diversity and culture that is here.”

More from Pina Travels:

• 14 Must-Visit Indigenous Businesses in Toronto
• 17 Indigenous Tourism Experiences in Ontario