Eco-Cultural Tourism

February-March 2003

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

by Jackson Warren

A Hamatsa dancer in the longhouse. Jackson Warren photo: www.waastours.com

Many of us have sensed the power of the ancient coastal forests and the curious brown eyes of the many creatures within. But didn't we also sense something more, something unseen? A mysterious energy or unknown force?

In fact, there is an energy or life force present, that of the abundant natural world and its creatures. Each and every point, sheltered bay and exposed bluff has a specific energy associated with it and for thousands of years these locations were utilized for specific purposes, named with a fitting title. If we access the knowledge of the original inhabitants, we can understand these places and the feelings we experience in them.

As visitors from abroad flock to our province in growing numbers, residents and tourism agencies are searching for ways to accommodate them. At the same time, locals are looking to diversify the economy in our resource dependent communities.

First Nations have intimate knowledge of their traditional territories to offer these visitors - place names and their meanings, as well as archeological background. There are rich oral histories on this coast, including site-specific legends and habitation histories, many of which cannot be found in books. This is where First Nations tourism fills an important role in ecotourism today.

The First Peoples of this continent had an outlook of long-term ecological sustainability, an outlook coming from generations of living in close association with the environment, dependent on a sustainable yield of resources to keep communities alive year after year, century after century.

Mask by Jason Hart. Currently on view at Sooke Harbour House. www.sookeharbourhouse.com. Alan Wilson photo. FujiFilm Finepix digital camera.

Now, as our coastal economy turns downward, everyone is looking toward new avenues for creating employment. At the same time, the rest of the world is realizing humans don't own the land but are an integral part of it. Everywhere, people are longing to become a part of this old way of thinking.

By taking part in a First Nations eco-cultural adventure, you can access this age-old knowledge, and gain a wider cultural perspective while experiencing BC's magnificent coastal environment for yourself.

Jackson Warren, Waas Eco-Cultural Adventures.

Ph: 250-974-8400.

Email: waas@island.net.

Web: www.waastours.com.