5 places to explore Canada’s Indigenous food culture
In recent years, the focus has been on reconciliation: land recognitions, improved education in Indigenous communities, and an increase in Indigenous-led tourism, much of which is food-focused.
Paul Natrall of the Squamish Nation is one of the leading figures in the Indigenous culinary tourism movement. He is a chef, restaurant owner, TV presenter and member of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada. He is also British Columbia’s representative for Indigenous Culinary of Associated Nations, a chef-led organization focused on influencing Canada’s relationship with Indigenous culture through food.
At this year’s Cooks Camp, an annual celebration of Canadian cuisine organized by chefs for chefs, Natrall hosted a special event that combined traditional indigenous foods with European techniques. In his view, food is the perfect catalyst for people to connect and heal.
“Growing up, the kitchen was a place of connection,” Natrall said with a smile. “Food was medicine and time [together as a family] was food.”
He fondly recalled the traditional cooking methods he had learned from his grandmother: wind-drying salmon, roasting beetroot in the earth, and pulling grilled mussels straight from the sea. He felt a sense of pride, love and belonging when they cooked side by side. Unfortunately, these hunting, gathering, and cooking practices were largely discouraged by a government aimed at eradicating Indigenous culture nationwide.
“It’s important to keep our food culture alive,” he says. “Every city has so many types of food: Chinese, Thai, Italian… but you never get local food. These traditional [cooking] Methods have been around for thousands of years, and we need to present them – revive them – show our culture to the world. We are finally seeing more of it.”
Through educational meals and outdoor activities that incorporate traditional methods of gathering, preparing and cooking food, Canada’s Indigenous community offers tourists a way to better understand and connect with their culture.
Gather and barbecue with the Three Fires Confederacy in Ontario
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Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory is a First Nations reservation on Manitoulin Island in Ontario, east of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Consisting of the Confederation of the Three Fires (Ojibwa, Odawa and Pottawatomi), Wikwemikong Tourism hosts and arranges excursions including fishing trips, maple syrup harvest, transport, powwows and theatre.
They also offer culinary excursions such as hikes along the scenic Bebamikawe Memorial Trail while foraging for edibles and natural ingredients on the forest floor. Along with a First Nations guide, guests will learn how to identify and harvest ingredients such as mushrooms and berries and pair them with game, fish, birds, and hot and cold herbal and plant teas. At the end of the day, guests prepare their results over an open fire.
Visit Nk’Mip Winery in British Columbia
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Nk’Mip Cellars is the first indigenous winery in North America owned and operated by the Osoyoos Indian Band. It is located in the Okanagan Valley, one of Canada’s most desirable wine regions. Nestled between rolling hills and a sparkling lake, this picturesque winery proudly practices sustainable agriculture. Nk’Mip Cellars has also received a variety of awards for its quality reds, buttery whites and crisp rosés.
Visitors to the winery can sample flights at the main tasting bar or indulge in a semi-private tasting with chef-inspired pairings. For a more in-depth experience, guests can book the Four Chiefs Food Experience, which explores four key elements of Aboriginal cuisine (bear, salmon, bitterroot and Saskatoon berry) with matching Nk’Mip wines.
Recently, Nk’Mip Cellars launched a tasting experience at the District Wine Village in Oliver, BC – Canada’s first wine village – featuring 16 different Okanagan artisans and producers.
Book a high-end meal at Naagan in Ontario
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Founded by Ojibwa chef Zach Keeshig, Naagan is an exclusive weekend-only restaurant that sells out weeks in advance. Keeshig, who has cooked at top Canadian restaurants like Langdon Hall and Eigensinn Farm, creatively blends contemporary cuisine with traditional Ojibwa cuisine. Limiting seating to just 13 guests means Keeshig can guide guests through the ingredients, cooking methods and cultural significance of each unique dish he serves.
Located on Owen Sound Most in Southern Ontario, Naagan offers a nine-course tasting menu that features harvested ingredients like corn or peaches in the summer and carrots or beets in the fall.
Keeshig also hosts foraging tours, cooking demonstrations and private dinners.
Visit an Algonquin festival near Ottawa
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Mādahòkì Farm was established on Algonquin Nation land near Canada’s capital. The site, which officially opened in 2021, hosts a series of events throughout the year that celebrate the Algonquin language and culture according to the seasons: Sīgwan (Spring), Tagwàgi (Autumn), Pibòn (Winter) and the annual Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival.
Each event features traditional Algonquin food, music, powwows, and creative workshops where families can make dream catchers, play drums, participate in storytelling, or attend a powwow.
This exciting venue and working farm is also home to five endangered Ojibwe Spirit Horses and hosts a year-round indigenous marketplace that promotes products such as art, jewelry, coffee or soaps made by local indigenous artisans.
Fish and enjoy the hiking trails around Red Bank Lodge in New Brunswick
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Owned by the Red Bank Nation, Red Bank Lodge is perched high on a hill overlooking the clear Miramichi River. The large cedar hut nestled in a dense evergreen forest was built by the local indigenous community. Wildlife graze quietly along the tranquil trails that weave through the trees and along the river.
River Bank Lodge is well known for its Atlantic salmon fishing and attracts anglers from all over the world. His culinary fishing experience — which costs around $1,400 — includes lodging, local-led fishing trips, and Mi’kmaq meals of smoked fish and shellfish, or cooked meats like venison or caribou. The fishing season runs from mid-April to October and these experiences must be booked months in advance.
For more information on Canada’s Indigenous Tourism offerings, visit: https://indigenoustourism.ca/