In 2019, the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs (Assembly) endorsed the Cultural Tourism Strategy for the Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw (the Strategy) which was developed to create the conditions necessary to cultivate growth in the Indigenous cultural tourism sector within Nova Scotia. The Strategy was the result of many years of dedicated efforts by the Nova Scotia Tripartite Forum Economic Development Committee.
The plan for the Strategy was to support a governance based, Nation approach to Mi’kmaw cultural tourism in Nova Scotia and build on the significant work of many of our communities to celebrate, curate and present authentic Mi’kmaw history and cultural experiences.
The vision of this work is to take “a Nation approach to broadly share authentic Mi’kmaw culture, language and landscape to enable visitors and residents to connect with, understand and more fully appreciate the original peoples of Nova Scotia, while contributing to socio-economic development in support of greater self-reliance through best-in-class Mi’kmaw cultural tourism.”
In the Strategy four key priorities were identified: Mi’kmaw Leadership and Governance; Authenticity; Mi’kmaq Led Development; and Marketing. Research clearly emphasized the importance of identifying and sharing authentic Mi’kmaq heritage and culture, as well as determining what parts of the culture is to be held sacred.
To build the Strategy, information was gathered through engagement with the Mi’kmaw communities and stakeholders; leaders in Indigenous tourism in Nova Scotia, Canada, and internationally; as well as potential partnering organizations within Nova Scotia. The team attended a variety of cultural tourism events and conducted research at Mi’kmaw Cultural Tourism workshops, strategic planning sessions and at a training session on Developing Aboriginal Experiences in Nova Scotia. The Strategy also uses the Assembly’s Culture, Heritage and Archaeology Strategic Plan as a key guiding document and also includes a scan of cultural tourism best practices and case studies.
We are proud to say that the Strategy focusses on the importance of increasing cultural tourism capacity as a critical component of tourism development. We all want to see community-led product development and investments enable Mi’kmaw cultural tourism products and experiences to become competitive internationally. We welcome visitors from all over the world here in Nova Scotia; many are interested in experiencing and learning about the First Peoples of these lands. It is important that the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia are at the core of building these experiences and determining if, what is built by others, is authentic and true to our people.
Recently, I was hired by the Assembly, as the Mi’kmaq Cultural Tourism Project Manager at Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn Negotiation Office (KMKNO) to lead this work, under the direction and guidance of the Cultural Tourism Advisory Committee. Committee members include the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn Negotiation Office, the Nova Scotia Indigenous Tourism Enterprise Network, along with Tourism Nova Scotia and other funders.
We have a five-year Cultural Tourism Action Plan, but it is important to acknowledge the significant negative impact that the COVID-19 Pandemic has had on tourism across the province, the country, and the world. It is predicted that it will take three to five years for tourism to recover to pre-COVID levels. The Assembly is committed to supporting the development of cultural tourism, while at the same time respecting community and provincial COVID-19 safety protocols.
One of the most important initiatives underway that we are excited to tell community members about is the development of “Guidelines for Authentic Mi’kmaw Cultural Tourism for Nova Scotia”. It is so important to ensure that the Mi’kmaq story is being told by, and governed by, the Mi’kmaq. The Strategy recommends the creation of guidelines for acceptable product, service and experience offerings in a tourism context and also recommends an approach to address authenticity that considers support, protection, standards, branding and sanctions. Jeff Ward, in partnership with the consultant firm Group ATN, will be undertaking the Authenticity Guidelines work, which will include engaging with Mi’kmaw Elders, Knowledge Keepers, community leaders, artists, crafters, and tourism operators to obtain feedback and input about Mi’kmaw songs, dances, traditional stories, history, images, and other ceremonies and practices.
Given the uncertainty with COVID-19, the team will be using various platforms to engage with community members and provide opportunities for information sharing and feedback including one-on-one interviews, group meetings, surveys, email, Facebook, etc. This will include opportunities to review and provide feedback on the initial draft reports in late fall and winter.
As the Strategy is implemented, success will be measured in part by the growth of Mi’kmaw Cultural Tourism businesses in Nova Scotia and the resulting increase in visitor participation in Mi’kmaq experiences. COVID-19 notwithstanding, this is an exciting time for Mi’kmaq Cultural Tourism, and as we move forward, we will be sharing those stories with you!
By: Shannon Monk, KMKNO