The era of Indigenous tourism has (finally) arrived

The travel industry has a long history of exploiting Indigenous communities. Today, these groups are controlling the tours—and profiting from them.

Harvesting wild rice by canoe on Whitefish Lake in Ontario. Building traditional Cree tipis in Saskatchewan. Exploring lava beds and alpine meadows in British Columbia while staying at the wood-hewn Vetter Falls Lodge, owned by Canada’s Nisga’a Nation. Travelers in Canada these days have more options than ever to get out and explore the country’s nature and culture—and many of these experiences are owned and operated by Canada’s more than 630 First Nation communities as well as Inuit and Métis peoples. They’re part of a tourism campaign, called the Original Original, from the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, or ITAC.

Read Full Story