9 Indigenous-owned retreats to visit across Canada

The best travel experiences move you. They ignite your curiosity, give you a fresh perspective and connect you to a place and its people in a meaningful way. And that boost can stay with you long after you return home and unpack your suitcase. 

Creating opportunities for connection — to the land and the people who have called it home for thousands of years — is the driving force behind many Indigenous-owned retreats across Canada, and their business models aim to benefit both visitors and First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities.

"We're seeing that there are desires amongst so many different groups to experience Indigenous history," said Jason Johnston, Ontario director for the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada. He hesitates to use the word "authentic" to describe these types of experiences, he said, because it's been misused by non-Indigenous tour operators to promote stereotypical offerings. True authenticity, he explains, is the opportunity to learn about the culture from the people living it.

"Our story is told often by other people who interpret who we are," echoed Ashley Smith, owner-operator of Turtle Village, a new tourist destination in Manitoba.

Keith Henry, president and CEO of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (who vetted the list of properties below), sees Indigenous experiences as integral to the national tourism landscape. "If we're going to present Canada to the world [and] to one another across this country, we need to do it in an honest and authentic way and tell the true history and story of our lands." 

Get to know these stories and have a truly transformative getaway by booking in at an Indigenous-owned retreat. The experiences, landscapes and traditions will differ from place to place, but the warm hospitality will be a constant. "Welcoming visitors to Turtle Island is not new," said Henry, who is Métis. 

"People seem to forget nations traded and had business relationships for thousands of years. And so there's always been a welcoming spirit because Indigenous people have always recognized that we need each other."

Turtle Village

This new destination within Treaty 2 territory in Manitoba's Riding Mountain National Park offers luxury camping in zero-impact tiny homes. The cosy and minimalist "Turtle Shell" cabins are solar-powered and designed to help you connect with nature year-round. Each unit comes with a queen bed and a private firepit. 

Owner Ashley Smith, a member of Gambler First Nation, is also working with the local community to provide visitors with an array of activities including beading workshops, storytelling experiences and ice-fishing excursions. 

This kind of experiential hospitality is something she thinks was missing from Canada's tourism landscape. "We have lacked the platform to showcase who we are as a people, how we communicate and how we nourish each other," she said. 

"We're actually the natural guardians of the land. We're what you would call the environmentalists — the original ones…. And you [can] see that through Turtle Village — we want to bring a more modern aspect to the way the Indigenous would live right now, and that would be with zero impact to the land."

Métis Crossing

Métis Crossing, Alberta's first major Métis cultural interpretive destination, is built on just over 200 hectares of land along the North Saskatchewan River originally settled by Métis families. The property, owned by the Métis Nation of Alberta and open year-round, is home to a boutique luxury lodge, a campground and a set of sky-watching domes to view the constellations at night. 

But the biggest draws are its signature experiences and traditional workshops, which include an immersive voyageur canoe trip along a historic fur trade route and opportunities to craft a pair of moccasins, a moss bag or a ribbon skirt.

"Every element of this destination — the land, the buildings, the trails, the quilts — exemplifies a piece of Métis culture and warmth," said CEO Juanita Marois. "Métis people have a unique connection to the land based in our history of survival and thriving on this land. At Métis Crossing, we share this connection through participation in our signature experiences, which seek to engage the hearts, hands, heads and hunger of our visitors."

Métis Crossing is also a space for Métis Nation citizens to connect and explore their culture, said Marois. "We are a place where Métis people — our youth, elders, entrepreneurs, artisans and families — gather to share and grow together."

Spirit Bear Lodge

Located in the heart of British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest in the unceded traditional territory of the Kitasoo Xai'xais Nation, Spirit Bear Lodge is owned and operated by the Kitasoo Xai'xais Nation and pairs exceptional wildlife encounters with enriching cultural experiences. 

"If they're lucky, guests will get to experience the spirit bear," said Roxanne Robinson, the lodge's assistant manager, referring to the rare animal that is a white subspecies of the North American black bear. "It's truly an impactful spiritual experience to see one of those special bears…. It has been shared with us from our elders that Creator made every 10th black bear white to remind us of a time when the world was covered in ice."

In addition to the lodge's namesake bear, guests may encounter grizzlies and coastal wolves during rainforest explorations, or whales and other marine life while out on the waters of the Great Bear Sea. Kitasoo Xai'xais cultural experiences are led by local guides and include visits to important sites, storytelling and other opportunities to learn about the community and its traditional foods and medicinal plants.

"I feel the world is ready to hear our stories [and] learn about our struggles but also witness the triumph and resilience we all have," said Robinson. "We are taking up space and filling those spaces that our ancestors never had the chance to do."

Red Bank Lodge

Located in the Indigenous community of Metepenagiag and overlooking the Little Southwest Miramichi River, Red Bank Lodge is a beautiful retreat owned by the Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation and decorated with the work of local artists. The cedar lodge is open year-round and sits adjacent to one of New Brunswick's most important historic sites: Metepenagiag Heritage Park, which partners with the lodge to offer guests opportunities to explore its trails and learn about local Indigenous culture through experiences like making traditional bread and tea over a fire and guided nature walks.

"Experiential hospitality allows our guests to truly immerse themselves in learning about our history, culture and traditions," said Patricia Dunnett, general manager of Red Bank Lodge and Metepenagiag Heritage Park. "Our guests get a direct authentic experience with our local Indigenous guides and staff by participating in our traditional ceremonies, storytelling, trying our Indigenous cuisine and just forming connections."

Beyond that, she said, "I see this as an opportunity to teach our Indigenous youth and community members that they also have so much to offer. I always see the pride in them as they experience that there are people in the world that want to know about them and their Indigenous roots." 

Cape Croker Park

On the eastern shore of Ontario's Bruce Peninsula in Neyaashiinigmiing (which translates to "point of land surrounded on three sides by water"), you'll find Cape Croker Park, a popular seasonal camping destination owned and operated by the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation. 

In addition to the stunning natural surroundings, the park's biggest draws are its Anishinaabe cultural experiences, which include an interpretive hike where you'll learn about traditional tools, medicinal plants and ceremonies, and a fire-making and wilderness skills experience where you'll learn to make fire using traditional materials and get a chance to sample bannock with syrup from the local sugar bush.

"The park has been a mainstay for a lot of travellers within Ontario for quite a long time," explained Jason Johnston from the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, who's also the interpretive program coordinator at Cape Croker Park. "A lot of people had very minimal, if any, understanding of our First Nation history, of our Anishinaabe history, our culture and the significance of the land that they were on. And what we've been trying to do with our Anishinaabe cultural experience programs is to really engage people in those conversations, to give them a hands-on, tangible learning experience."

Frontier Lodge

Before its purchase by the Łutsël K'é Dene First Nation in 2019, this property in the Northwest Territories was primarily focused on fly-fishing, but it's now been transformed to better reflect the local Indigenous community and capitalize on its location as the gateway to Canada's newest national park, Thaidene Nëné. New offerings at the lodge include tours of Thaidene Nëné and the local community hosted by elder Ron Desjarlais of Red Cliff Adventures.

"Our goal since day one has been to maintain the fishing experience our loyal clients have come to expect while reconnecting the lodge with the local community, people and history of this place," said the lodge's general manager, Corey Myers. "We undertook an extensive renovation and renewal project throughout COVID, updating all the guest-facing facilities on site, including the guest cabins." 

As part of that effort, said Myers, "We held community meetings with elders to determine new cabin themes for culturally significant places within the new park [and] installed bilingual signage, archival photography, elders' stories about the significant places, local artwork, arts and crafts throughout the lodge. We wanted to inspire our guests to ask questions, to learn more about this special place." 

Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations

Northwest of Quebec City, Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations is a museum-meets-boutique-hotel owned and operated by the local Huron-Wendat Nation. Accommodations mix modern amenities with traditional motifs, and the on-site restaurant, La Traite, is helmed by a Michelin-starred chef offering First Nations–inspired cuisine using ingredients sourced from the boreal forest. 

Guests can learn about the history of the local Indigenous community with a guided tour of Musée Huron-Wendat, or by taking part in crafting workshops or fireside storytelling experiences in the Ekionkiestha' National Longhouse.

"By providing cultural immersion and offering a variety of activities, workshops and encounters with Indigenous culture, guests leave the hotel with a deep understanding and appreciation of the rich heritage and traditions of the First Nations and Huron-Wendat people," said Marion Garnier, the hotel's marketing and communications coordinator. 

Dakota Dunes Resort

Owned by Whitecap Dakota First Nation, Dakota Dunes Resort is located on traditional Whitecap Dakota Unceded Territory just south of Saskatoon. The retreat pairs all the amenities of a modern full-service resort with experiences and adventure programming that celebrate the Dakota way of life. 

Design elements, including tatanka (buffalo) sculptures and architecture inspired by the angles of traditional teepees, reflect the local community. Guests can participate in Indigenous games — spirited traditional competitions that once animated the northern plains — or learn how to make bannock on an open fire while a staff member from the community shares stories of Dakota history.

"We are proud of our culture and our community, and by offering visitors unique experiences that they may not otherwise have, we can help them connect more intimately with the land and our people while enjoying the hospitality that is a hallmark of our community," said Darrell Balkwill, CEO of Whitecap Development Corp. 

"The resort is a source of ongoing economic benefit to our community and to the entire region," he added. "More than 70 per cent of the operational staff are Indigenous, coming from the local community and surrounding area. This helps manage unemployment, provides long-term career opportunities and stimulates economic growth."

Klahoose Wilderness Resort

Surrounded by rainforest, coastal mountains and the Salish Sea in British Columbia's Desolation Sound, Klahoose Wilderness Resort is a remote, all-inclusive eco resort owned by the Klahoose First Nation. It offers cultural and wildlife tours with local guides, as well as the opportunity to participate in traditional ceremonies, cedar weaving workshops and storytelling experiences. 

With only seven rooms, the resort prides itself on personalized service, the opportunity to develop genuine connections with staff and the serenity that comes with no cellphone service.

"We take guests whale-watching, we take guests to beautiful waterfalls. They can sit quietly and be in silence," said the resort's tourism manager, Chris Tait. "When I see guests leaving, with the final ceremony — we do a drum and a song as guests are departing on the boat — they have tears in their eyes." To him, it's evidence that visitors have made a meaningful connection and are emotionally changed.

"It's intangible," he added. "I can't put it in a brochure."