Crops, animals and serenity are part of the experience at Thunderbird Farm.
The operation in Woodville, Ont., in the Kawartha Lakes region, is one of a number of Indigenous-owned spots that are noticing a trend: travellers seeking them out.
“I’m getting a lot of positive feedback,” said owner Brooks Johnson.
“People are looking for Indigenous experiences, people are interested in it,” he said.
As Canadian tourism grows against the backdrop of the tariff war with the United States, organizations across the province are also seeing an increased appetite for Indigenous tourism experiences. People in the Indigenous tourism industry say they’ve noted an opportunity for growth.
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Thunderbird Farm says it currently provides short term rentals, craft workshops, hands on experiences with its farm animals, nature walks and archery. Down the road it plans to expand to include teepees, sweat lodges and educating visitors on traditional agriculture practices.
“Being Indigenous myself, we’re trying to grow more Indigenous basic flowers for the ceremonies and weddings,” he said.
“It’s nice to be able to share this stuff with other people, and people seem more open to learning new things.”
Indigenous Tourism Ontario says cultural authenticity is at the forefront of its organization — ensuring that visitors’ experiences are genuine, and that the businesses benefiting are Indigenous-owned.
“We focus on that, first and foremost, with all of our tourism operators,” said Lisa-Marie Lavallee, operations lead and executive support at Indigenous Tourism Ontario.
“People are wanting hands-on storytelling face to face where they’re not getting it from a third party. They’re wanting to talk with an elder directly and getting those stories first hand,” she said.
The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada announced earlier this year that some significant private investments will help boost the sector.
The association’s goal over the next five years is to position Canada as the global leader in Indigenous tourism.
Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict says rising interest is welcome news after many years of communities putting in a significant effort to bolster Indigenous businesses.
“More Canadians are focusing on travelling in Canada, and that includes participating in and visiting First Nation communities, which I think is is very positive,” Benedict said.
“A number of our communities embrace this in many aspects and are wanting to draw in non-Indigenous people and newcomers to Canada to talk about the history, as well as learn more about the arts, living off the land, the music and the culture of our people.”
The idea of Indigenous tourism may be novel to some, but Johnson says it’s always been a part of the country’s culture, and it’s time more people paid attention to it.
“It’s my culture but it’s also Canadian culture,” he said. “You should learn about that before you’re going and doing other things. You’ve got to know about where you’re from.”
