Lennox Island launches website to encourage hands-on tourism experiences

Lennox Island First Nation has launched a website aimed at encouraging experiential tourism in a range of ways, from weaving to quill work.

The First Nation wants visitors to experience Mi'kmaq culture, rather than be shown it, said Chief Darlene Bernard.

"[Before] they would go to our cultural centre, look around there, go to the craft store and then they would leave," Bernard said. 

"Now what we're trying to do is really cater to the experience. We found that it's all about the experience. People are coming from other countries, they want to learn something."

Visitors can now learn how to do quill work on birch bark, weave a moose-hide drum, or make clams and bannock on the beach during a two- to four-hour session. Prices range between $65 and $85 per person.

Like the rest of P.E.I., COVID-19 heavily affected tourism on Lennox Island, but it gave the First Nation time to strategize a better tourism plan, Bernard said.

"COVID put a damper on everything for sure, our visitors and tourism numbers were right down, almost next to nothing. We took this opportunity to really look at our experiences and tourism products, and take the time to develop the website too," she said.

"Even though we were not able to welcome visitors we were doing a lot of work to prepare for us now being able to ramp up for the season coming up and we are very excited about it."

P.E.I. is unceded Mi'kmaq territory, and Lennox Island hopes to make a point of that through tourism, Bernard said.

"Lennox [Island] has so much to offer visitors to Prince Edward Island. When people come to Prince Edward Island, they're coming to Epekwitk, Mi'kmaq territory and I want them to see Mi'kmaq when they come."