As we return to travel, many of us are looking for trips with meaning. For more and more people, that includes getting a sense of the connection first peoples have with the earth and their traditional cultures, and showing support for indigenous people around the world.
To mark the United Nations’ International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on August 9, one guided vacation company revealed how it’s supporting indigenous people through travel.
As The Travel Corporation says, travel done right goes hand in hand with the cultural and economic empowerment of communities.
The Travel Corporation’s tour companies, as well as its philanthropic arm, the TreadRight Foundation, work to support Indigenous-owned business and non-profits. Their goal is two-fold: to lift the voices of the Indigenous community, and also to provide travelers with a full and authentic experience.
Here are some of the Indigenous tourism experiences at the forefront of tourism in their communities.
USA: Tap into Lakota Culture on the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Reservation
Global guided vacation company Trafalgar brings travelers on a unique visit to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Reservation. You’ll get to meet with the Lakota Youth Development, a program that aims to connect youths in the tribe with their native culture and lifestyle.
On its tour called “National Parks & Native Trails of the Dakotas,” guests enjoy a traditional Lakota meal with a host from the reservation for a Be My Guest experience. You learn about and taste the ingredients from their native land that Lakota ancestors have lived on for thousands of years.
Following the meal, travelers embark on an Indigenous plant walk to learn more about the medicinal and ceremonial properties of wild edibles and the longstanding idea that every plant has a purpose.
Western Canada: Meet the Warrior Women of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation
Contiki is a social tour company for 18–35-year-olds, and wants to give young travelers a variety of perspectives on Indigenous culture through the voices of the Warrior Women of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation.
On its tour called “Canada and the Rockies,” travelers are invited to a fireside chat on traditional First Nation land that is now part of Jasper National Park (pictured above). There, a Warrior Women member shares details of her culture, experience as a musician and time spent teaching the traditional craft of making of drums, leather binding, moccasin and traditional mitten making and more.
She also teaches travelers about the local flora as they relate to the Indigenous people that call the land home.
Eastern Canada: Learn the Seven Sacred Teachings ofthe Abegweit Mi’Kmaw Nation
For the first time, the Abegweit Mi’Kmaw Nation has partnered with a tour operator, premium tour company, Insight Vacations. Their collaboration showcases the longstanding ceremonies of a Canadian tribe on Prince Edward Island.
On a tour entitled “Landscapes of the Canadian Maritimes,” travelers visit the Abegweit Mi’Kmaw Nation, a small First Nation dating back 10,000 years according to their oral tradition. During the visit, guests experience an authentic smudging ceremony, honor song and dance, and also learn about the Seven Sacred teachings.
Australia: Take an Aboriginal Walking Tour
On luxury tour company, Luxury Gold’s “Inspiring Australia” itinerary, travelers take an aboriginal walking tour through a historical neighborhood, The Rocks in Sydney (pictured), to learn The Dreamtime, the important features of Aboriginal spiritual beliefs and existence.
Your expert travel advisor can help you plan a trip to connect you with one of the world’s indigenous cultures, while supporting their community to preserve their traditions and natural, ancestral environments.
Start Your Indigenous Tourism Trip!
Images courtesy of The Travel Corporation.
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