Aidan Jaager, Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Wanuskewin Heritage Park is spearheading a countrywide Indigenous tourism revival.
After recovering from a pre-pandemic visitation slump, “We are back at 2019 visitation levels, and we’re very happy with the number of visitors we have seen at the park,” co-executive chair Andrew McDonald said.
Wanuskewin is a national historic site located just north of Saskatoon, with features including a bison herd, art exhibits, and cultural events.
“Wanuskewin was really born out of the community, so we want to be reflective of our community and to all the different nations who have come here over the past 6,400 years.”
While many visitors are from Saskatoon and surrounding area, people also come from across Canada and the world. McDonald said the top country that visits Wanuskewin each year is the United States, with Australia, Germany, England and France frequently travelling to the site.
He said they work with Tourism Saskatchewan and Discover Saskatoon to connect with international tour companies.
“We want to be well-represented and be an option that’s presented to those folks looking for their Canadian vacation.”
NATIONAL GROUP TARGETS PRE-PANDEMIC NUMBERS
Information released at a national event earlier this month in Toronto included details on the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada’s (ITAC) 2025-26 operational plan, which will focus on 10 main priorities.
The organization is keen to return Canada’s Indigenous tourism industry to where it was before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The federal government provided some financial relief to ITAC during the pandemic, including $16 million in 2020. Currently, U.S. tariffs are the latest concern, so Keith Henry, who doubles as ITAC’s president and CEO, is hoping for continued support.
“Canada is still sort of analyzing it. We’ve been talking to the government of Canada several times, actually, saying this is a very serious issue. It’s hitting us very hard.”
Results of a survey released by ITAC this past May show U.S. visitation has dropped dramatically because of ongoing tariff threats and the trade dispute between U.S. President Donald Trump and Canada.
Henry said ITAC is monitoring the low visitation.
“And it’s not going away. It’s actually really quite challenging. It’s getting worse. So, Canada hasn’t done anything yet. We’re hoping that they will. We’ve proposed ideas to them. But in this current economic climate, I don’t think there’s going to be much wiggle room for Canada to do much.
“We’re trying to help the Prime Minister’s Office to understand, ‘You’re helping industries that are being hit by tariff impacts. However, you haven’t even uttered the words tourism through the staff we’ve talked to.’ And I’m hoping that they’ll start to understand it.”
Statistics from 2023 show there were about 35,000 jobs in Indigenous tourism across Canada, along with $1.3 billion in GDP contributions that year.
By 2030, ITAC is hoping there will be 60,000 jobs in the industry, contributing $6 billion to the GDP. Henry said there’s a lot to be done to achieve the association’s vision.
“Where we are really going to have to focus on is on the labour market because we’re still only about 35,000 employees,” he said.
“We need to get 60,000. And we’re just seeing a loss. We’re actually seeing some businesses maintain or reduce a few staff. So, we’re going to focus on that.”
Henry added the number of Indigenous tourism businesses has gone up post-pandemic.
“I think I’m very happy we’ve got the fuel to actually invest and do the things we need to do. I’m just worried about the market conditions. We can’t control that. Like the U.S tariffs, no one saw this three to four months ago. This all happened when, obviously, leadership in the U.S changed. Other than that, we were on pace for a great year,” he said.
ITAC has secured a seven-year funding commitment through the Passion Project Foundation and will receive $35 million each year through anonymous donors.
It plans to align its investments by partnering with provincial and territorial Indigenous tourism associations to grow the development and marketing of tourism experiences, and intends to establish the Indigenous Tourism Heritage Fund, which will support investment in major Indigenous tourism development projects.
‘GOING TO PLACES WHERE IT REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE’
McDonald believes Indigenous tourism has evolved post-pandemic, with many visitors looking for purposeful opportunities in the sector.
“The idea of sustainable tourism and specifically regenerative tourism is something that I think many Indigenous tourism destinations offer. Priorities have shifted for people, and they really want to see that their tourism dollar is spent in going to places where it really makes a difference.”
Wanuskewin is currently on the tentative list to receive designation as a world heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Designation.
The pursuit has been years in the making, and “we’re working toward that in the next few years,” McDonald said.
— With files from Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
