b'TOURISMTraditional dishes at Indigenous restaurant Salmon n Bannock, which attracts tourists from across Canada. Photo courtesy of Jeremy InglettCULINARY CONNECTIONS By Sarah B. HoodI n d i g e n o u s t o u r i s m t a p s i n t o t h e g r o w i n g g l o b a l i n t e r e s t i n f o o d - b a s e d e x p e r i e n c e sA ll across Canada, IndigenousPeoplearewantingtoconnecttoWe have visitors who really want to tour operators are tellingIndigenous culture, especially throughunderstand Indigenous ways of life; its theirownstoriesandfood, says Keith Henry, the presidentlife-changing for people, Henry says. creatingbusinessesthatand CEO of the Indigenous TourismThe average urban person has never focusontrulyauthenticAssociation of Canada (ITAC), whichspent two minutes in this lifestyle. I think experiences. More and more, theseexists to create partnerships to supportthats why were seeing such a shift in experiences are tied to traditionalthe growth of Indigenous tourism inthose culinary and foraging offerings practices around the gathering andCanada. Were seeing tremendousand experiences, even in the wintertime, useoffoodsandmedicinesfromdemand from domestic and internationalwhen you can go out on the trapline.the land. People across the globevisitors; people are really thirsting for dont just want to live through anit. Theres tremendous potential for allAccording to one tour operator, these Indigenous experiencethey wantsorts of culinary Indigenous experiencesexperiencescommunicateadeep to taste it aswell. on the land.sense of place. It is a very simple way, 38A CCAB PUBLICATIONFall 2023'