Turtle Village is a Model for Indigenous-Led Tourism in Riding Mountain National Park, Westman

When Ashley Smith discovered one of her ancestors was the first to build winter lodging at Clear Lake back in 1799 she knew that she was on the right path with her vision for Turtle Village, an all-season accommodation in the heart of the Wasagaming campground in Riding Mountain National Park. It was a long process to bring it to fruition, its location in a National Park bringing not only municipal and provincial red tape but also the federal bureaucracy into the process, but her persistence paid off.

The grand opening of Turtle Village wasn’t just a celebration of the project but of a triumph for Indigenous-led tourism, a rapidly growing sector that focuses on authentic experiences and Indigenous-owned businesses. Many of the speakers at the opening spoke about how the attraction helps tell the story of the place and amplifies the voices that are missing from lived history.

Leanne Cooper, Superintendent of the park, was a partner in bringing the project to fruition and talked about the history of the park and its commitment to reconciliation through concrete actions. Riding Mountain National Park was created as a park in the 1930s, at the expense of the Anishinaabe who were living and working on the land. Because of this act, their connection to the land was severed. Bringing projects such as Turtle Village into the park is a step on the path to repairing that relationship.

Another significant partnership is that with Lenore’s Star Blankets, which has created a unique star blanket for Turtle Village using its signature colours. The blankets will be available to visitors to the site and they will tie it further to the history and culture of the place it stands.

Smith’s father, Chief David LeDoux of Gambler First Nation, spoke about their family’s tradition of hard work and entrepreneurship, citing his First Nation’s recent partnership to open the first potash mine in Manitoba. While he says he leaves the tourism field to his daughter, he does mention his attachment to a project to build a 5000 square foot teepee in Brandon, which will certainly be an attraction in its own right.

Dennis Meeches, former Chief of Long Plain First Nation and now with Indigeno Travel, talked about “economic reconciliation” and how rebuilding the Indigenous economy is so important and requires a level of support from mainstream Canada. Meeches was involved in the construction of a hotel in Long Plain First Nation next to the National Indigenous Residential School of Canada and has firsthand knowledge of the Indigenous tourism sector.

Holly Courchene of Indigenous Tourism Manitoba talked about the growing sector, which had just 85 businesses when she started working with it four years ago and now has over 190. Criteria for accreditation include that the business has to be at least 51% Indigenous owned. The organisation focuses on developing Indigenous tourism in Manitoba and as their website says, “Indigenous Tourism is Reconciliation in Action.” She makes specific note that the partnerships that came together to make this business happen was an example of true reconciliation.

MP for Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa Dan Mazier was also present at the opening, and announced that in the next boundary revision, the constituency is being renamed Riding Mountain due to its historical ties to the name.

Riding Mountain National Park is located approximately 45 minutes northwest of Neepawa.