A Reflection on NITC 2022 - The National Indigenous Tourism Conference

Indigenous Tourism Flourished in 2019

A glance back at the thriving Indigenous tourism economy in 2019, showed so much optimism, that many new businesses were created based on this upward trend [Paraphrased], ‘Indigenous tourism sector growth is outpacing Canadian tourism activity overall. The research shows the direct economic benefits (GDP) attributed to the Indigenous tourism sector in Canada rose 23.2% between 2014 and 2017, going from $1.4 billion to $1.7 billion. Compared with a 14.5% increase in overall tourism activity in Canada, this growth shows the recent and momentous acceleration of the Indigenous tourism sector across the country (Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada 2019).' Then the Covid-19 global pandemic caused a major collapse of the tourism economy, and Indigenous tourism suffered the worst, with the loss of the International market.??

The focus of the 2022 National Indigenous Tourism Conference (NITC) was, ‘Building Back Better.’ Glohaven was honoured to participate, listen and learn, on the traditional territory of the Treaty 7 region, and to be with the people of the Tsuut’ina First Nation, at the Grey Eagle Resort & Casino.?

Through interactions, conversations, panel discussions, breakout sessions, and new relationships, we were led through a path of information that helped guide us to further our understanding of what resilience and reconciliation means, and how this applies to rebuilding back the Indigenous tourism industry.

Welcome to NITC 2022!

Upon arrival, Michael Benedek, and myself (Angela Case) were greeted with an incredible welcome gift bag created by our partners and co-creators of the Indigenous Globox?, Shop First Nations. Rob Schulz and Chelssie Baker did a fabulous job working with their partners to create a culinary treat through the Indigenous Culinary of Associated Nations (ICAN).?

While revelling in the live entertainment by Damase at the Welcome Reception, and enjoying tasty Indigenous bites from the Grey Eagle team, we spotted a familiar face. Although Michael has known Chief Frank Antoine of the Bonaparte First Nation, Co-owner and Co-founder of Moccasin Trails Inc., for over 10 years, I was so happy to be acquainted in person for the first time! Frank engaged us with a hunting story.

Frank's Hunting Story

Referenced on at least 3 occasions during the conference was the importance of Indigenous people’s stories, that they are theirs to tell. Respectfully, when Frank shared this story with Michael and I, I was compelled to talk with him afterwards, as I wished to share his authentic words, and not just what I remembered. On Tuesday, March 29th, Frank shared with me, as he stared out of his window (at his band's office) at the very mountain where it all took place...

[Paraphrased] “Growing up, hunting was just a natural thing to be around, being an Indigenous child. My family, my father especially, always lived off the land, most of his life, so he was always saying, ‘Let’s take you son, and go out and go hunting.’?

I was about 12, when I shot my very first and only deer of my life. I still think of the day that I put the scope on that gun, and I saw this young buck eating, and my Dad told me to whistle at him, he looked up, and that was the last thing that deer heard. I still think of that, how that animal was, I guess you could say, defenseless.?

I didn’t really know the tradition and understand my background at that age… that animals come into your life, and they offer their life, they give you their life. Just before I pulled the trigger, I said, ‘I’m so sorry.’ Sure enough, I shot it, and I had to go through the procedure of how you take care of an animal. My Dad said, do a little prayer over it, give an offering, and say thank you for its life. But, I felt like I was taking a family member away when I did it.?

It took me a long time to be able to prepare it, skin it, and get it ready for my family to eat. I just thought, I can’t do this. This was not my skill set to be in a position like this. This was not natural for me. It was very unnatural. To this day, I feel it’s a necessity that some people need to have a clear conscience to be able to do this.

I have an older boy who is 24 right now, and he hasn’t shot anything in his life, but he’s prepared himself. He has his PAL ticket, and guns. Now that he’s ready, and that I’m Chief in my community, we do go out on hunting expeditions a few times every year, so my son is planning to go on a hunt, and I will be there when he shoots his first deer.”?

Frank pauses as his voice chokes up, “It’s going to be very powerful when he does, and it’s just touching to see that he wants to do it, and not because I had to make him do it. My Dad made me feel like I had to do it, and in all reality, it was just another skill that my Dad wanted to pass on to me, and now I can pass this on to my children. Now I know that my eldest son is going to teach his brothers who are 10 and 3 years old, and I get to witness and watch it, and being a part of this is so exciting. The tears in my eyes are not because I’m sad… it’s because I just found a way to carry on the tradition that my father, my grandfather, and my great-grandfather passed on through the generations.?

Although I didn’t understand the cultural importance when I was that young, now I understand it completely, and it all has a purpose. It has its place with my family, my boys, and the next generation to come.”

I was touched by the depth of Frank’s humanity, and how through this unravelling experience, he learned about himself at a young tender age, that taking a life, even to give life, was not something that he could do. How he carried this weight in his head, and his heart, for so many years, until he realized one day, that it was totally okay for him to feel this way, and it was totally okay for others to hunt more easily with a clear conscience. Then, full circle, how his eldest son is now ready to go on his first hunting expedition this year, where he will shoot a deer, with his Dad (Frank) present. In retrospect, hunting was a gift from Frank’s father, and passed down from generations, but even if hunting is a tradition, Frank shows grace to his children now, for it to be their choice.?

This hunting story is telling of why Moccasin Trails has been so successful, as I connected deeply with it. It took me back to a time when I couldn’t even step on ants as a young child, as I viewed every living thing as God’s precious creations. I understood Frank’s heart. And yes… I since apologized (as an adult) to my Mom for making her late many times as I neurotically navigated my way over all the ants of Kelowna, BC.???

On International Women's Day, Shae Bird, CEO of Indigenous Tourism Alberta, shared this cool fact, which was an empowering message to celebrate the day...

"33% of Indigenous businesses are female-owned. That's double the national average for non-Indigenous businesses!"

Highlights from ITAC Day 2

The next day, we received a warm welcome inserted with humour, from Emcee, Hal Eagletail, then following, the traditional Grand Entry was an amazing and powerful display of the Pow Wow dancers and their Regalia, with the riveting sounds of the drums and the singers all moving in unison. The cultural tours we each attended were incredible, Discussing Treaty 7, and the Beaded Lanyard Workshop.

Ft. in photo: Kirsten Cardinal, Woman's Jingle; Breezy Meguinis, Woman's Traditional; Kerrie Simeon, Woman's Fancy; Harlen Wetchewais-Wells, Men's Fancy; Malin Meguinis, Men's Grass; Cody Rabbit, Men's Chicken; Dwayne Wesley, Men's Traditional; Hal Eagletail, Emcee {thanks to Amy Meguinis, Coordinator}

The Beaded Lanyard Workshop

During the Beaded Lanyard Workshop, Moonstone Creation led us to create our own lanyards while learning teachings and beading techniques.?While the beading experience was fun and also somewhat therapeutic, it was also a table full of sharing our (tourism) stories, connecting, and then a ton of laughter on top of it all.

Ft. in photo [left to right]: Chyanne Trenholm (Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours), Darcie Guarderas (Tansi Tourism Solutions), Angela Case (Glohaven Community Hub), and Terri Nielson (Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo Economic Development & Tourism)?

Key Takeaways from NITC 2022

The conference was professionally organized by the staff of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) and their agenda flowed well.?

There were so many takeaways, especially heartfelt messages from panelists, delving into the Tk'emlups 'The 215' tragedy, the negative deeply rooted effects of intergenerational trauma, and the realization really set in for me personally, how Indigenous people will undoubtedly be dealing with this for years to come, and how as non-Indigenous people, we can do our part to learn more by reading, studying, and educating ourselves through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls To Action, personally authored books, such as Elaine Alec’s, ‘Calling My Spirit Back’ (featured in the Indigenous Globox?), reading and understanding UNDRIP, following Indigenous news sources, such as IndigiNews and more.?

Further discussed were the impacts of the past two years on the tourism industry, in a panel called: ‘Innovative Experience Development Through Covid-19,’ which included Glohaven’s Indigenous Advisor, and good friend, Greg Hopf, Co-owner and Co-founder from Moccasin Trails Inc...

[Paraphrased] ?“At the end of the day, it was just survival. We launched the business in 2017, and we quickly rose up the ranks through the work we were doing. We had won regional awards, and were nominated for national awards in 2 short years. Life was great… it was awesome. Then of course when ‘everything hit,’ the stimulus cheques came in, ITAC helped all of its stakeholders, CERB money was coming in so we weren’t stressed out, but then CERB stopped… and my mortgage payment was due. There were times when I was like, brother, what are we going to do? We could have applied for loans, but we didn’t want to get further in debt. There were days when I’d be in my room crying. I’m the man of the house… I’m supposed to provide for my family. I can’t do that. It was basically survival.”

You could hear the raw emotion in Greg’s voice, “I was telling someone earlier today, when an animal is backed into a corner, it fights. Similarly, fight or flight… we had to fight. We had to pivot the business. The tourists aren’t just going to show up again in 2021. That’s just not happening. Whenever you’re in a time of crisis, you go to your mentors, so I went to my Aunt, and she said, ‘My boy… everything we’ve given you, your songs, your stories, the legends, the colour of your skin, the education we’ve given you, everything you’ve learned can sustain your family.’ That’s when it clicked. Frank and I added a consulting arm to our business. Since then we’ve worked with Indigenous communities, helping them write their tourism strategy plans, facilitating Indigenous Sensitivity Workshops for small and large corporations, public speaking, and that’s what pivoting means to me. The mental fortitude that our stakeholders need to have is what brought us personally through, because trust me, there were many times when I just about gave up and said, I’ll greet you at Walmart when you come through the doors… and that was the biggest challenge, the mental toughness, and I won’t say this lightly without paying respect to the brothers and sisters that we did lose over the last two years. There were businesses that collapsed.”?

So, I called Greg on the phone after the conference, talking about what he shared at NITC, and he touched back on this integral part of his message,

“The mental well-being of our stakeholders was at risk, and still is. We have to keep checking in on the mental health of our stakeholders during these tough times. It’s more important than all the money in the world.”

This conference was much more than the many holistic conversations and impactful interactions. There was this overwhelming commonality in the messaging of the need to work together, to support each other, just like a family does, in order to rebuild the Indigenous tourism industry.?

ReconciliACTION was a key catchphrase. ITAC CEO, Keith Henry [paraphrased], "If we don't lead by example, how do we expect our visitors to? Indigenous tourism was the hardest hit these past two years. We must work on the 4 pillars of leadership, partnership, development, and marketing to rebuild. Visitors want Indigenous tourism. We have seen the growth and the demand domestically. Tourism leads to reconciliation and action; that's ReconciliACTION. We have to help educate Canadians... we have a lot of work ahead of us."?

A Few Overall Key Highlights...

1. Meeting with Greg Hopf's Uncle, Dene National Chief Gerald Antoine, and Greg's brother, Joe Bailey, from North Star Adventures from the Northwest Territories. We were given a book, 'Denendeh: A Dene Celebration' by the National Chief, and were blessed by his incredibly insightful and moving words about the strength of family and community, and the very essence streaming from Deh (water) and Neh (land).

In National Chief’s messaging [paraphrased], “Our priority is to work to understand ourselves, so we can harmonize with this natural rhythm. Take really good care of yourself. The other relationship is with other people. It’s really important that we come together to build back better as a family. As I stand here, and you sit there, there’s something that keeps us all really solid, and it’s called a backbone. Each bone is separated, but skillfully put together, like a family. So the last point I wanted to share with you is about tourism; about what you all do. So think of this (conference) in terms of the day before treaty, the day of treaty, the day after treaty, now what? Family is really important. We need to come back again as a family. So listen to the Elders, because they’ve invested their lifetime trying to get you o-ut of the ‘safe’ and to discover those trails that our ancestors talked about. Let’s look at how we can get back to those trails, put on our moccasins and be ourselves… just like family. There’s a prophecy I overheard when the Elders got together, and they said, ‘There’s going to be other human beings… they will be coming to visit us, and then the people over here will be helping them to reconnect.’ This is a reality that has started already.”

2. The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, 'Strong Spirit Eagle,' Minister of Tourism [paraphrased], "What do you do when all your customers have to stay home? I stand in awe of the resilience of the people in this room. Consumers are now looking for more meaningful impactful authentic Indigenous experiences. We can offer a glimpse of this rich history. We are compelled to strengthen Indigenous communities through economic development. Indigenous tourism is ReconciliACTION."

This was said, while wearing an Orange Shirt Day Pin skillfully created by Angie La Londe, from Angie's N8ive Beading in Vernon, BC, which was in the curated contents of the Indigenous Globox? gifted to him. Every connection like this, is a 'win' for the incredible and diverse Indigenous businesses Glohaven has been working to market, amplify, and promote alongside our partners, Shop First Nations, and The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA).?

What Does ReconciliACTION Really Mean to Us?

Our Glohaven Community Hub Team looks forward to continuously learning more about how we can play our humble part in ReconciliACTION.?

“But what does this term really mean? What does it mean to you, Ange?” Greg Hopf asked me while talking on the phone, “What is your takeaway here that you’d like to communicate with other people reading this conference recap? How can you help others understand what ReconciliACTION means so they can be inspired to start their journey?” As Greg and I furthered this discussion, he helped me clarify how simple it really is. It’s time to stop ‘talking the talk,’ and it’s time to start ‘walking the walk.’?

For starters, in terms of business, Greg suggests to read Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s: Call to Action # 92i. “Commit to meaningful consultation, building respectful relationships, and obtaining the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous peoples before proceeding with economic development projects” (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2012, p. 14).

To show your support for Indigenous-owned businesses in your community, it can be as simple as:?

• Purchasing an Indigenous product or experience
• Learning about and supporting Indigenous businesses
• Learning your local land acknowledgment and including it in the signature in your email
• Providing a ‘Culturally Safe’ workplace and implement strategies in your business to support reconciliation through inclusion

In regards to Glohaven’s partners:

• Visiting TOTA’s Indigenous Tourism webpage: https://www.totabc.org/indigenous
• Utilizing Shop First Nations Indigenous Business Listings: https://shopfirstnations.com/
• Hiring an Indigenous consultation company like Moccasin Trails Consulting: https://www.moccasintrails.com/consulting

Throughout the past two years of consulting with Greg Hopf, I have been able to safely bring all my questions forward without judgment. We have shared deep conversations, and also a lot of laughter. I am still on an upward learning curve, so I will tie this up by humbly saying; my life has become richer with the relationships being fostered through the Indigenous advisors, partners, colleagues, vendors and friends we have been privileged to cross paths with through Glohaven’s development. We are thankful for this amazing community of people who encourage, listen, collaborate, and work with us, toward common goals.?

We met so many wonderful people and can't wait to be in further communication soon. I have a delightful stack of business cards and notes! There’s no secret as to why I am personally ‘in tourism’... it’s because I genuinely love people and experiences, so I can’t emphasize enough how thankful we are to the ITAC Team for the in-person opportunity to attend such an inspiring and meaningful conference at NITC 2022. We look forward to working together like an ecosystem, a ‘tourism family,’ to ‘Build Back Better,’ especially as our team develops Glohaven's SaaS eCommerce platform to support tourism organizations. We are actively working to create innovative solutions that support their members with digital tools that are better suited to the specific needs of the industry. Indigenous and non-Indigenous, we are all part of ‘this backbone’ that will lead to ‘ReconciliACTION.’ My last final impression to share is how wonderful it was to see people’s smiles, in more ways than one.

~ Angela Case - Customer Success Manager & Cofounder | Glohaven Community Hub

References:

Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, 2019, Indigenous Tourism Sector in Canada Exceeding All Growth Targets, accessed April 2nd, 2022, https://indigenoustourism.ca/indigenous-tourism-sector-in-canada-exceeding-all-growth-targets

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2012. Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action. 2015, p.14, accessed April 2nd, 2022, https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/indigenous-people/aboriginal-peoples-documents/calls_to_action_english2.pdf