I came across this speech given by our world renowned and respected Mi’kmaq Elder, Daniel N. Paul, to the Nova Scotia Tourist Association in 2003. News flash…he just happens to be the founder of this newspaper! His speech really resonated for me as he expressed the historic legacy of Mi’kmaq hospitality and welcome, and the importance of visitor satisfaction. This is at the core of the work we are doing to develop Authenticity Guidelines that will support this vision. I am excited to share the text of Elder Paul’s speech here, with his permission.
MI’KMAQ WELCOME
A speech by Daniel N. Paul to the Nova Scotia Tourist Association, November 16, 2003
Welcome my friends, I hope you have a pleasant visit!
I’ll start my discourse about Mi’kmaq welcome by relating how it came to be that my people always welcomed visitors to the land of the Mi’kmaq with open arms – a practice dating back into infinity. In fact, in pre-Columbian days, they often entertained visitors and traders arriving from other First Nations located across Turtle Island – our name for North America. Such hospitality resulted from the early indoctrination of children with the worthy social values of a people friendly civilization, which our ancestors had developed with great wisdom over the ages.
One of the most important of these values, taught to the young by the Elders, was that the Great Spirit created all people equal – which prevented the development in their minds of biases against people who were different. Thus, intolerance was not a vice harboured in the hearts of the Mi’kmaq.
In view of this, it should come as no surprise to anyone that during 1604 my ancestors welcomed strange looking visitors to their land. When Champlain and ship’s company landed on our shores, in spite of their white skins, bearded faces, strange clothing and behaviour, they were warmly welcomed by the Mi’kmaq as brothers and sisters. The most important among the Mi’kmaq Peoples values, which made hospitality to strangers a must, was personal honour. It was an individual’s most valued personal asset. To fail to keep one’s word, or to be disrespectful of others, was punishable by being ostracized by peers – a fate considered worse than death.
Therefore, children were taught to be generous and non – confrontational with each another, or with strangers. This is how Bernard Gilbert Hoffman, a history researcher, described it:
“The behaviour pattern required of any Micmac was such as to virtually eliminate any overt and direct forms of aggression. The ideal man was one who was restrained and dignified in all his actions, who maintained a stolid exterior under all circumstances, who deprived himself of his possessions to take care of the poor, aged, or sick, or the less fortunate, who was generous and hospitable to strangers . . .”
Historian, Cornelius J. Jaenen, provides an excellent example of how Europeans were flustered by such civil behaviour. He, when discussing First Nations Peoples’ attitudes toward religious conversion, relates that Calvin Martin found it was sometimes difficult to distinguish between genuine conversion and a tolerant assent to strange views. Martin’s description:
“Such generosity even extended to the abstract realm of ideas, theories, stories, news and teachings. The Native host prided himself on his ability to entertain and give assent to a variety of views, even if they were contrary to his better judgement. In this institutionalized hospitality, lies the key to understanding the frustration of the Priest, whose sweet converts one day were the relapsed heathens of the next. Conversion was often more a superficial courtesy, rather than an eternal commitment, something the Jesuits could not fathom.”
Now for something that may seem incredible to you, especially when compared with modern society’s values: our ancestors had no notion of greed. All shared alike. It was what can be described as a “you” society, performing at its best, no personal enrichment. Thus, greed, an insidious evil that is still bedeviling modern society, was not a problem for them. The absence of it made it easy for the Mi’kmaq to give gifts of precious possessions to visiting friends and strangers. Such was a fundamental part of Mi’kmaq life. Jaenen explains:
“The French often commented on the absence of a sense of exclusive ownership of goods and lands among both nomadic and non-nomadic tribes. The observation of an officer at Louisbourg is typical of such comments: “They are very uncaring about paying the debt they contract, not from natural dishonesty, but from their having no notion of property, or of owing a debt. They will sooner part with all they have, in the shape of a gift, than with anything in that of payment. Honours and goods being all in common amongst them, all the numerous vices, which are founded upon those two motives, are not to be found in them.”
This is the type of welcome that Nova Scotians must endeavor to bring to the fore again. Visitors must be treated with consideration and respect. They must never be viewed as passers through, who will never return, and whose money can be taken without giving them excellent value in exchange.
When they come, treat them like beloved visiting members of the family circle, give them quality value for their money. This will cause them to return and cause them to encourage others to come visit. Warm feelings of satisfaction instilled in visitors by caring hosts is what a healthy tourist industry is built from.
Such a universal new approach is a must. I say this because I’ve often seen in recent years, like most of you probably have, the quality of the offerings of the province’s hospitality industry to guests diminished in favour of a better profit line. In fact, many have been so successful at this endeavour, that they have, in pursuit of the paper profits offered by penny-pinching efficiency experts, put themselves out of business.
You, my friends, Nova Scotia’s hosts, must be cautious not to be lured by such corporate short term thinking –– the investments each of you input into the hospitality and welcome industry will return a hundred fold if visitor satisfaction is high.
It’s wise to remember: The best way to make and keep a new friend, is to lavish on him or her the very best you can offer!
In closing, I strongly urge you to try the Mi’kmaq way. It’s tried, tested and proven. If you need proof of the veracity of this declaration about the effectiveness of Mi’kmaq hospitality look around you – we have close to a million visitors abiding in this part of Mi’kmaq land, who show no sign of preparing to leave!
All the best!
Daniel N. Paul
According to a new study by Insignia Marketing Research, commissioned by the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, Indigenous tourism businesses can significantly grow their local Canadian traveller base in 2021. The survey’s findings show that COVID-19 disruption has created an unprecedented, industry-wide opportunity for Indigenous tourism and cultural experiences.
Conducted in August 2020, the market research noted that COVID has induced travel-related attitudinal and behavioural shifts that have made Indigenous experiences more favourable to the Canadian domestic visitor. The study also determined, however, that Indigenous tourism experiences were not yet top of mind with travellers who were now turning to explore Canada, while international borders remain closed.
Together, these findings indicate that the ideal time is now to leverage these shifts by rolling out comprehensive domestic awareness and education campaigns and creating a warm Mi’kmaq welcome to travellers and visitors as we prepare ourselves for post-COVID recovery.
Next month we will dive deeper into the specifics of the Mi’kmaq Cultural Authenticity Guidelines and community engagement. Happy holidays and stay safe! I leave you with a final thought from Elder Danny Paul,
“Imagine living in a world where everyone, motivated by a Mi’kmaq “you” philosophy, carries out their day-to-day activities with the idea of pleasing others! No more shoddy merchandising, low-quality restaurant meals, etc. – just quality product, service and contented people!”