Time for reflection on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a time to honour survivors of residential schools and reflect on the ongoing impacts of this history.

And with more travellers seeking authentic Indigenous cultural experiences, these stories offer a timely lens into reconciliation through tourism. They create powerful opportunities for connection and understanding, while supporting Indigenous communities across Canada.

This year, the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) is inviting everyone to dive deeper into the truth of Truth and Reconciliation, a crucial step before reconciliation can truly take place.

Some Indigenous tourism experiences across Canada take place on the very grounds where residential schools once stood. All these powerful spaces are deeply rooted in healing, resilience and remembrance, where visitors engage in authentic storytelling, guided experiences, and hear the voices of survivors and community leaders.

Through these experiences, visitors have the opportunity not only to learn about the truths of the past but also honour the strength in Indigenous Peoples who carry this history forward.

Below are Indigenous tourism businesses dedicated to sharing the truth behind Indigenous culture in Canada, allowing visitors to support and take a journey toward reconciliation

* Wikwemikong Tourism (Manitoulin Island, ON) invites visitors to walk through some of the most difficult chapters of Canadian history, from the first residential school on the Great Lakes to Northern Ontario’s oldest Catholic church.

Their guides share personal experiences of the residential school system, bringing powerful and authentic perspectives to the stories told.

Through their perspective, guests gain a deeper understanding of pre-colonial history, multigenerational trauma and the resilience of Indigenous Peoples.

* The National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada, located at the former Portage la Prairie Indian Residential School in Manitoba, is a national historic site dedicated to truth, remembrance and healing.

Executive Director Lorraine Daniels, a residential school survivor, leads the museum’s work in transforming a place of hurt into one of education and understanding.

Through sharing difficult truths and creating space for dialogue, the museum helps Canadians learn about the past, paving the way toward reconciliation.

* St. Eugene Resort, a former residential school, has been reclaimed and transformed by the Ktunaxa Nation into a resort that symbolizes resilience and renewal.

Today, guests can stay, golf and dine onsite while learning about the building’s history and the Nation’s vision to turn a place of trauma into one of healing and strength.

The resort is both a source of cultural and economic pride for the Ktunaxa People and an opportunity for visitors to engage meaningfully with the story of reclamation.