Łı́ı́dlı̨ Kų́e First Nation (LKFN) has launched a new cultural tourism initiative aiming to educate outsiders and promote the community.
LKFN set up an Instagram page showcasing the beauty of the area as well as different activities tourists will participate in.
Madison Pilling is the community tourism coordinator for LKFN.
“So LKFN as a tourism operator is just getting into business,” she explains. “I am a huge supporter to the development of cultural tourism. I think that it’s an awesome way for people from the outside to learn and respect and understand the area that they’re they’re going into.”
The band is offering two packages for this upcoming summer. Both offer a canoe trip, golfing and a cultural experience, which could include hearing about the history and language of the area from knowledgeable members of the LKFN as well learning about cultural practices such as moose hide tanning.
A moose hide being tanned in LKFN. THe photo was posted on LKFN’s tourism Instagram page. (Photo courtesy of Madison Pilling.)
One package offers customers the chance stay on a campground and the other has accommodations in LKFN.
Pilling says Indigenous run tourism is an important project for the LKFN.
“By turning it into this cultural experience. You’re saying, ‘Okay, this is what I’m comfortable with sharing with you, because I want you to respect and understand me, but also respect and understand that I have boundaries’,” she says, “it gives young people a chance to work with elders and make money at something that they can do every single day that’s sustainable in the long term.”
Pilling says the community also launched it’s first winter tourism package.
“We invited guests to come over, spend two nights and do a snowmobile tour with local operator Bobby Norwegian,” she says.
The tours also include snowshoeing and cross country skiing.
“We have some beautiful trails here,” Pilling concludes
