It’s one thing to kayak among the orcas, sample wine, stay at a luxury resort, or take a river cruise – it’s quite another to do any of these things with a First Nations guide.
British Columbia, home to more aboriginal groups than anywhere else in Canada, is also a leader in native-owned and operated tour operators, allowing visitors to experience the province’s history, wildlife, culture and cuisine from a First Nations point of view.
The offerings are as varied as the groups themselves:
With the North Vancouver-based Takaya Tours, for example, guests can paddle a traditional-style Salish oceangoing canoe while First Nations guides sing traditional songs, point out ancient village sites on the shoreline and retell ancient legends.
With Talaysay Tours, based onthe Sunshine Coast north of Vancouver, members of the Shishalh First Nation offer hiking, kayaking, and snowshoeing tours, as well as trips in a seagoing canoe; workshops in drumming, singing, and art; bird watching tours by kayak and a number of all-women tours.
Just two hours east of Vancouver, near the lakeside spa town of Harrison Hot Springs, Sasquatch Tours offers boat trips on Harrison Lake and Harrison River. En route, guides point out ancient pictographs (rock paintings) and petroglyphs (rock carvings), as well as archaeological sites and rock formations, called transformer sites that feature in many local legends. Wildlife, such a bears and deer, may also be spotted.
More water-based tours are offered in BC’s Cariboo region with Chilcotin Jetboat Adventures. Owner Doug Green, who is of Cree and Tsilhqot’in (Chilcotin) heritage, runs jet boat tours through the Fraser Canyon. Tours include visits to ancient village sites, former mining sites, and traditional fishing spots. Guides will even stop on the river bank for a traditional meal of fresh-caught salmon, wild tea and hushum, a dessert made from wild berries
To the west of the Cariboo is the Great Bear Rainforest. Accessible only by sea or air, this lush wilderness is said to be the last intact temperate old growth forest in the world. It’s also home to a vast range of wildlife, including whales, sea lions, otters, black bear, and the rare white Kermode, or Spirit Bear. Klemtu Tourism, owned and operated by the Kitasoo/Xaixais First Nation, can take visitors by boat or kayak to explore the wilderness, and maybe even spot a Spirit bear.
If all that sounds just a bit too adventurous, note that there are also a number of exceedingly comfortable, full service resorts which are all, or partly, owned and operated by First Nations people. These offer a taste of Aboriginal architecture, food, culture, and entertainment, with all the comforts of a modern full-service hotel.
Some of the better known ones include Tsa-Kwa-Luten Lodge on Quadra Island, Bella Coola's Eagle Lodge, St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino in Cranbrook, Quaaout Resort and Conference Centre near Kamloops, and the Nk'Mip Spirit of the Desert complex in Osoyoos.
The Nk'Mip development is one of the most intriguing: set in Canada’s only desert landscape, the resort is part of a complex that includes a golf course, a cultural centre, and Nk’Mip Cellars, North America’s first Aboriginal-owned and operated winery.
The Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia www.aboriginalbc.com, has details about the tours and experiences available.
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