Lennox Island hopes to go big with Mi'kmaq tourism experiences

Lennox Island First Nationis preparing for abig year in tourismafter designingseveral hands-on visitor experiences in hopes of bringing more tourists to its small reserve.

"We would like to have a packed season where every day we have visitors from somewhere coming,"said Jamie Thomas, director of culture and tourism forLennoxIsland First Nation.

Thomas says she's excited about the opportunities tourism could bring, including jobs and revenue.

"We want to build careers for people in this community," said Thomas.

Lennox Island will offer a variety of tourist experiences,from hand drum making, to Mi'kmaqquill art, to traditional cooking of bannock and clams in the sand.

"What are some of the unique experiences we can offer here, that people can't get anywhere else in Prince Edward Island?" said Thomas.

"We really want to touch people with our history, our culture," she said.

Thomas says Indigenous tourism has "taken a real flight" in the last couple of years and LennoxIsland wants to tap into that demand for culturally authentic experiences.

"They are learning from grassroots people," she said.

"It's pretty unique, it's very hands-on, it's culturally relevant."

German travel writers visit

A group of travel writers from Germanyrecently visitedto do the hand drum work shop.It was part of a promotional tour hosted by the Nova Scotia and P.E.I. tourism departments.

Writers return to their home countries and put pen to paperabout their visit and that'sexposure LennoxIsland is happy to get.

"It's the first time I try to handcraft something by myself, " said writerMichael Soltys.

"It's a pretty interesting and new experience that most people don't know," said fellow-writer Philip Duckwitz.

Duckwitzseemed to have a real knack for drum making, winning praise from the LennoxIsland staff.

"This is something really unique to experience," Duckwitz said. "I hope it will have a nice sound."

Visitorslearnhow to soak, stretch and wrap moose hide around a wooden drum frame punching holes in the hide and eventually pulling hide strings throughto tighten it and make a finished product.

Tour guides also share stories about Mi'kmaq culture and teach visitorsbasic drumming skills and a song.

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Mi'kmaqtourism a provincial priority

The provinceidentified Mi'kmaqtourism as a top priority in a recent five-year-strategy document.

GrantMacRae, a marketingand sales officer with P.E.I. Tourism,says the demand for Indigenous tourism is growing across Canada.

The province is concentrating on authentic cultural experiencesand promoting those types of adventures in its marketing.

Plans to grow

Thomas has been working with the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada and saysthere is huge potential, sayingit will not only bring in revenue butcreate a better understanding of their culture.

"We're hoping to really expand," she said.

She says in the future they hope to build a traditional wigwam village so people can stay overnight.

"What an experience it would be to come to LennoxIsland and actually sleep in a wigwam for a night," she said.

"We really want to have people to experience whatLennoxIsland has to offer."

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