Discovering Alberta up close with an Indigenous guide

First Nations tourism is a great way to gain a different perspective on a destination

Last fall, my husband and I followed Matricia Bauer through the woods near the sixth bridge on the Maligne Canyon trail in Jasper National Park. Bauer, a member of the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, offers guided medicine walks and fireside chats in Jasper through her company Warrior Women. As Bauer led us through the woods, she pointed out yarrow that can be used in a salve to stop bleeding, purple aster flowers that can be used in tea to treat colds, and juniper berries that are high in vitamin C. She also shared Indigenous legends about the plants and the landscape. I began to look at the plants and the place in a new way.

There are many different Indigenous nations and groups in Canada and just as many different cultures, languages and traditions. The Mi'kmaw, whose traditional territory is in Eastern Canada have a word, “etuaptmumk,” that means “two-eyed seeing.” According to their tradition, one eye should be focused on Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing, while the other eye is focused on Western knowledge. The Mi'kmaw believe it is only by using both eyes together that we can get an accurate perspective.

One of the best ways to see a place with an Indigenous eye is by experiencing an Indigenous tour.

While we sipped herbal tea and visited around a picnic table in Jasper, Bauer explained that a medicine walk is much more than teaching the traditional uses of plants in the forest.

“Reconciliation is about sharing truth and helping people connect with the land,” Bauer explained. “That's what Indigenous tours really accomplish.”

There are many amazing Indigenous tourism experiences in Alberta. This includes historic sites like Head-smashed-in Buffalo Jump, cultural sites like Métis Crossing, and countless tours in locations right across the province. For a listing of experiences, visit the official website of Indigenous Tourism Alberta (indigenoustourismalberta.ca). Here are two Indigenous tours to consider experiencing.

ARCHERY AND GLAMPING

Last September, I stood in front of an archery target at the Painted Warriors Guest Ranch near Sundre and performed an exercise to figure out which of my eyes was dominant. Everyone in the group was right-eye dominant except for me, which meant I needed to use a different bow. I couldn't believe the difference shooting with the correct bow made. Tracey Klettl is a champion Métis archer and an excellent archery instructor. Next, we followed her into the woods and shot at animal-shaped targets. We cooked dinner over an open fire and enjoyed a medicine walk, and storytelling before staying overnight in trappers tents equipped with comfortable beds.

EXPLORE ELK ISLAND NATIONAL PARK

Elk Island National Park is the place where bison were brought back from the brink of extinction and it's a great place to view them. The park also has fascinating geology, excellent hiking trails, beautiful lakes where you can paddle a canoe, a diverse array of wildlife, and much more. A tour with Keith Diakiw of Talking Rock Tours combines an exploration of the geology and the Indigenous history of this park, located about 50 kilometres east of Edmonton.