6 Indigenous Women Shaping the Future of Travel in BC
This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating leaders in travel
Breaking down barriers, challenging patriarchy and leading by example are just some of the ways Indigenous women are helping shape the future of travel—not only in their BC-based communities, but across Canada.
In honour of International Women’s Day and the 2022 theme, Break the Bias, Indigenous Tourism BC is highlighting the work of six remarkable women who have been challenging stereotypes, preserving their heritage and creating new economic opportunities for communities.
Their commitment is also creating positive change and promoting reconciliation between Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous allies. As leaders in tourism, they promote Indigenous-owned experiences and encourage travellers to stand in solidarity for reconciliation, educate themselves on the wrongs of the painful past and contribute to their vision for a healthy future.
Brenda Baptiste
Chair of the Board of Indigenous Tourism BC
Brenda Baptiste, who was recently awarded the distinguished Order of British Columbia, has long believed tourism can balance socio-economic development for Indigenous people.
“Tourism requires very little bricks-and-mortar when it comes to experiences and connecting with guests,” says Baptiste. “As Indigenous people, we are hosts, this is what we do. We’ve always hosted other nations with feasts and ceremonies and our whole cultural construct is based on that social engagement. We knew tourism was a way to build economies and create jobs, especially in those northern regions [of BC].”
As a member of the Osoyoos Indian Band, Baptiste was instrumental in the marketing and development of Nk’ mip Desert Cultural Centre, a $12 million capital project. Baptiste was also Director of the Aboriginal Business Showcase for the Four Host Nations during the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver.
Baptiste says the plan to increase and encourage Indigenous tourism in BC started 20 years ago. “We have such a diverse number of First Nations in BC,” says Baptiste. “Of the 600 across Canada, we have 200 in BC. . . who speak very different languages and have different cultures, but also in their backyard have the most pristine landscapes BC has to offer in their traditional territories.”
Going forward, Baptiste wants to showcase truth and reconciliation through Indigenous tourism. She adds, to accomplish that goal, it’s vital First Nations Peoples revitalize their cultural teachings.
“You have to be able to speak to your heritage in order to share with visitors our elder and traditional knowledge,” says Baptiste. “Because the greatest gift you can give is teaching your culture and language.”
Teara Fraser
Pilot and Founder and CEO of Iskwew Air
Métis pilot Teara Fraser founded an aerial survey company in 2010, selling it six-years later in order to launch Canada’s first Indigenous airline in 2019.
Fraser says she named the airline, which employs all women, Iskwew Air because the word “Iskwew,” translates to “woman” in her ancestral Cree language.
“Aviation is very patriarchal and there’s very little diversity of any kind,” says Fraser. “There are inherent barriers and that’s part of why we exist. Part of why I chose to call it Iskwew Air was to create an active disruption of the system. That alone, the fact there is an airline funded and led by a woman and it’s literally called ‘Woman Air,’ comes from the very early days of my career and trying to fit into a system that wasn’t built for you.”
Fraser’s initial mission in launching Iskwew Air was to carry passengers to remote communities as a way to promote tourism across BC, but the global pandemic placed that plan on hold. Instead, Fraser used her airline to fly essential goods to those same remote communities.
Today, with travel restrictions easing across the province, Iskwew Airlines is finally offering the services it was created for.
“Starting an airline is humbling to begin with, but trying to get it up on its feet during a global pandemic was next-level hard,” says Fraser. “But our aim is still to connect travellers to Indigenous tourism and to serve remote communities.”
Fraser’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. Fraser was featured by DC Comics in a graphic novel, Wonderful Women in History, alongside other remarkable women, such as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, author Brené Brown and singer Beyoncé.
Candace Campo
Owner and Operator of Talaysay Tours
Candace Campo, ancestral name xets’emits’a (always be there), has found a way to share both past and present stories about the Indigenous Peoples local to Vancouver, Squamish and the Sunshine Coast, while employing other First Nations guides and promoting tourism.
Campo shares her knowledge and training as an anthropologist during guided walking and kayaking excursions offered through her company, Talaysay Tours, which launched in 2002. It wasn’t until 2016, though, when Campo made the shift from working as a teacher and administrator to full-time operations manager and guide at Talaysay.
Campo then surrounded herself with other likeminded Indigenous guides who are also passionate about teaching how First Nations Peoples used local flora, fauna and the sea to survive. Ten guides now share their knowledge, ancient and contemporary stories, legends and ways of living.
While travellers from across the globe regularly take part in these eco-tours, Campo is as equally enthusiastic about sharing her knowledge locally, particularly when it comes to students and teachers. Talaysay’s education programs include lessons in canoeing, kayaking, hiking, snowshoeing, nature walks and Coast Salish art. Campo wants women to experience a supportive, safe space to improve their skills on water and land.
Sharon Bond
Founder, Owner and CEO of Kekuli Café
Since her start selling homemade bannock from a roadside stand in West Kelowna, B.C., Sharon Bond was determined to nurture and encourage Indigenous culture—one tasty, pillowy treat at a time.
Bond spent years on the side of the road selling the traditional bread in her free time, including weekends and evenings, because she had a dream to one day build her own restaurant. That dream came true in 2005, when she opened her first location of Kekuli Café in Westbank, which has evolved into so much more than a place to simply buy bannock.
Today, Kekuli Café is a popular destination where tourists and locals alike can purchase Indigenous art, jewellery and, of course, traditional Indigenous cuisine in an excellent ambiance with pow wow music.
Bond has since expanded her business to include a second café, located in Merritt, BC, but has no intention of stopping there. Embracing her own motto, “Don’t panic, we have Bannock,” Bond has plans to grow her café chain, while contributing to the growing Indigenous tourism industry across BC and Canada. Kekuli Café will be opening its new location in Kamloops this spring.
Linda Morven
Nisg’a Nation Chief Executive Officer of Gitwinksihlkw
Linda Morven has been vital in helping grow tourism and draw visitors to the Nisg̱a’a Village of Gitwinksihlkw (formerly Canyon City).
Formerly the Chief Health Services Officer for the Nisga’a Valley Health Authority, today Morven oversees the economic development ventures and initiatives for the Nisga’a Village Government and community.
Morven was instrumental in organizing and overseeing “Hoobiyee”—Nisga’a’s annual New Year celebration, which rotates between the four Nisga’a communities—and is now working towards increasing tourism development in the region.
Being a community builder at heart, Morven is a vital part of the Tourism and Strategy and Official Community Plan. “It’s how we were raised,” she says.
As well, the Nisga’a community recently managed to open a new Welcome House and gift shop during a global pandemic. This significant development is one of many initiatives planned for this small northern community.
Morvan believes there is no limit to what the community can achieve by collaborating and working together. “We can make the Main Street Experience of the Nisga’a Village of Gitwinksihlkw a reality. This is where economic ventures and the community can thrive,” says Morven.
Mary Point
Manager of Indigenous Relations at Vancouver International Airport
In 2018, Mary Point was hired as the manager of Indigenous relations at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) as part of the Musqueam Indian Band-YVR Airport Sustainability & Friendship Agreement.
Since then, Point has been working to further develop the relationships between the parties by strengthening their partnerships and exploring new joint business opportunities.
With support from those partners at YVR and Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC), it was Point who drove the development of an interactive digital kiosk at International Departures at the airport, which gives departing visitors and locals an introduction to BC’s Indigenous cultures.
Before joining YVR, Point was manager of the Musqueam Cultural Centre and also worked across the province developing strategic partnerships with a range of First Nations communities and local businesses.
Using the knowledge gained from those experiences, Point is able to weave culture and protocol into best practices for potential partners seeking to do business with First Nations individuals and organizations, ensuring their relationships are authentic to Indigenous culture. With a depth of experience in strategic communications, partnerships and community relations, Point combines her strengths and passion to champion Indigenous culture at Vancouver International Airport.
This article was sponsored by Indigenous Tourism BC
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