Category Archives: Indigenous Nations

Indigenous Nations, Tourism

Klahoose Wilderness Resort: Tourism as a Vehicle for Reconciliation and Culture

The Klahoose Wilderness Resort’s second full season is over.

“We’re only open from May to the middle of October,” explained Chris Tait, the Tourism Manager. 

As he reflected on this past season, one word that kept coming up is reconciliation. 

“It’s 100% owned by the Klahoose First Nation. From the beginning, as we built the resort, that was front and center. We wanted all of our experiences at the Klahoose Wilderness Resort to  reflect the traditions, reflect the culture. Part of that is a reconciliation piece, bringing people into the Klahoose territory. Making sure we have Klahoose First Nation guides leading those guests, whether they’re going on a boat tour  through Toba Inlet – which is my background – or sharing their culture at the Klahoose Wilderness Resort.”

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Indigenous Nations, Tourism

Klahoose Wilderness Resort supports Indigenous Tourism Destination Fund 

The Klahoose Wilderness Resort  has partnered with the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) to support the newly launched Indigenous Tourism Destination Fund. 

“There’s 800 new Indigenous tourism businesses that this strategy is going to support. Those are new ones. I think there’s 300 now that are like Klahoose Wilderness Resort across the country.  Most of them are small businesses like ours,”  explained Chris Tait, Tourism manager for the Klahoose Wilderness Resort.

“We’re part of the original accreditation program with the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, where they recognize Indigenous tourism businesses. There’s three levels. You have to  meet a whole bunch of criteria, like: have a business plan; a marketing plan;  work with international visitors;  be an Indigenous owned business; and have an Indigenous experience.”

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Cost of Climate Change, Indigenous Nations

A coastal First Nation’s Guardians are ‘testing the water’ to prepare for climate change

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A coastal First Nation’s Guardian team is gearing up to test the waters to try to limit the impacts of drought in their traditional territories on northeast Vancouver Island.   

The We Wai Kai First Nation’s environmental stewards are partnering with other local groups to map and monitor wetlands, watersheds and streams on Quadra Island as summers get hotter and drier, said Guardian program manager Shane Pollard. 

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Indigenous Nations History

SFU researcher explores Haida Gwaii’s unique archeological history

Editor’s note: This research could throw some light on how the First Nations reached the Discovery Islands, where the earliest archaeological finds are currently from about 11,000 years ago at Yeatman Bay on Quadra Island. In an interview with Cortes Currents, an archaeologist from the Hakai Institute said he did not have any early dates for Cortes but “It really comes down to where people have done the research.”

By Seth Forward, Prince Rupert Northern View, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Groundbreaking research on Haida Gwaii could lend more clarity to unanswered questions about how the First Peoples of the Americas arrived after the last ice age. 

By testing marine core samples off the coast of Moresby Island, researchers from Simon Fraser University (SFU) and the University of Victoria (UVic) are attempting to understand the ancient paleo-landscape of the archipelago. 

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Food, Indigenous Nations, Tourism

QXMC’s New General Manager, Marco Bedetti

The Klahoose First Nation Development Corporation, QXMC, has a new General Manager. 

“In mid August I was approached by a member of the board I work closely with, who asked me if I was interested in applying for the position as General Manager. I gave it some thought and went ahead. It was a long process including several interviews, skill assessments and psychological evaluations. Thereafter the board took time to review all candidates, reflect and just at the end of last week they came to the decision of hiring me,” explained Marco Bedetti. 

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