CREATING CONNECTIONS THROUGH TOURISM Learning through cultural exchange

Since the time of first contact with Europeans, the First Nations of Turtle Island (North America) have welcomed visitors. Today, the Mi’kmaq of Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia) invite non-Indigenous people from across the region and around the world to share in Mi’kmaw culture and heritage.

“Visitors to Atlantic Canada are excited to explore our coast and experience the rich landscapes that we’re proud to call home,” says Robert Bernard, executive director of NSITEN. The acronym for the Nova Scotia Indigenous Tourism Enterprise Network is also a Mi’kmaw word meaning “understand.” First Nations tourism operators aim to offer enriching cultural experiences that walk a path of understanding with visitors eager to connect with the continent’s original peoples.

Such cultural exchanges result in the passing along of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives. This exchange is key to the success of the reconciliation process taking place across Canada.

“Visitors are learning more about the true history of our people here,” says Bernard. “They’re also learning how much was lost. It’s a cultural loss we’ve experienced — the colonial effects on our people, culture and languages across the country.” But there is also much to gain. “We want to share our culture, our food, and other good things,” he adds.

By sharing traditional cultural knowledge and breaking bread with non-Indigenous people, the Mi’kmaq are continuing a practice from the earliest days: welcoming visitors and sharing with them a rich cultural heritage that has taken eons to emerge from life on these ancestral lands.

When visitors with open hearts and minds join Indigenous guides, interpreters, artists, crafters, cultural performers, and culinary experts, the reward is unique and enjoyable transformational experiences, valuable insights, lifelong memories, and bonds forged with Turtle Island’s original peoples.

Cultural exchanges between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples help Mi’kmaw communities value their heritage, strengthen their language and reclaim their place in tourism as stewards of their ancestral lands. Such exchanges lead to a more inclusive future for those working in Indigenous tourism.

“The interest shown by visitors will help to create awareness of the Mi’kmaq, but also of Indigenous peoples across Canada and far beyond,” says Bernard. “Cultural tourism is inviting people to visit and to learn the perspective of a nation sharing its true history with the world.” *