Pacific Northwest Annual Canoe Journey

On July 29, 2012, The Squaxin Island Tribe will host the Paddle to Squaxin 24th Annual Canoe Journey, an inter-tribal celebration of Pacific Northwest canoe culture and tradition. More than 100 canoes will land at the Port of Olympia, in Washington state, with thousands of people joining together to welcome each arrival.

For centuries, Pacific Northwest tribal people navigated the waterways in intricately carved dugout canoes. The Salish Sea, the body of water that encompasses Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Strait of Georgia in Canada, were the central force that connected canoe cultures for inter-tribal communication and trade. But early federal government mandates outlawed many tribal traditions, resulting in the almost lost art of canoe building, and ceremonial practices.

In 1989, the Canoe Journey event, originally called “Paddle to Seattle”, was organized as a revival of the canoe culture traditions and the Native American contribution to the Washington State Centennial. Today, tribes from Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and the Seminole Tribe in Florida participate.

The Bella Bella, from British Columbia, Canada, will travel more than 1,000 miles over 23 days. As the canoes arrive at the host site on July 29th, each canoe family asks for permission to come ashore, according to their own culture and protocol. Paddles are raised, signifying “We come in peace.” The Squaxin Island Tribe will then host a week of traditional potlatch ceremonies and festivities with daily performances by dancers, singers and storytellers.

Potlatch ceremonies and performances will continue after the landing to Kamilche, Washington at the Squaxin Island Community. The public is welcome but is asked to respect ceremonies, while in the protocol tent. Potlatching begins on July 30th and ends on August 5th.

“Teachings of Our Ancestors” is the guide for the 2012 Canoe Journey. “These teachings are the center of our lives and cultures, as it is our ancestors that teach us that we must care for our elders, each other, our children, and the earth because each is a part of our past, present and future,” said Charlene Krise, Squaxin Island Museum Executive Director.

Support the Paddle to Squaxin 2012

There are various opportunities to support the Paddle to Squaxin and to help make this important event a success. The following are available sponsorship levels, taken from the contemporary names of Native American ancestral lands, each of which is equally important to the People of the Water.

• Noo-Seh-Chatl of Henderson Inlet watershed
• Steh Chass of Budd Inlet watershed
• Squi-Aitl of Eld Inlet watershed
• Sawamish/T’Peeksin of Totten Inlet watershed
• Sa-Heh-Wa-Mish of Hammersley Inlet watershed
• Squawksin of Case Inlet
• S’Hotle-Ma-Mish of Carr Inlet watershed.

For more information about these sponsorship opportunities, contact Margaret Foley at +1 (360) 432-3952 or mfoley[at]squaxin.us (Subject line: “2012 Canoe Journey Sponsorships”).

By Ali Dempsey

Ilkurot Village Community Projects, Tanzania

Global Basecamps, in collaboration with Maasai Wanderings, contributes to a variety of ecotourism and community outreach programs in Tanzania. In 2004, Maasai Wanderings visited a Maasai village called Ilkurot (which means “dusty place”) just north of Arusha, and saw that the schools were in desperate need of supplies and repairs, and there was no nursery school.

Following this visit, the Ilkurot community project was developed to raise funds for the school and to make education more accessible to the Maasai children. The Ilkurot community project began by setting up a nursery school so the village children would be able to enter the Tanzanian education system and would hopefully then move onto primary and secondary school and beyond.

People in Ilkurot live below the Tanzanian poverty line and earn an average of less than $200 per year. The cost of schooling is about $40-$50, making it difficult for children to receive an education. With the help of donors and volunteers, Global Basecamps and Maasai Wanderings strive to make education easily accessible and free to the Maasai children of Ilkurot, with the hope that educated Maasai will be better equipped to aid in retaining their ancient culture.

Maasai Village Experience Tours

In 2005, the Ilkurot Nursery School opened and had 45 students between the ages of 5 and 7. The class was held in a small room, but the number of students quickly outgrew the small facilities. As a way to raise additional funds for the school, Global Basecamps in Tanzania developed ‘Maasai Village Experience Tours’, giving travelers the unique opportunity to interact with and learn from the Maasai people. These cultural tours helped raise funds to build a new classroom for the Ilkurot School and continue to help build the Ilkurot community project.

The new classroom was opened in January 2006 with a large increase of students. To accommodate all the new students, the school began holding two sessions a day. The five-year-old group consisted of approximately 110 students and was held in the morning, while the afternoon lessons consisted of about 100 six-year-old students. At each session the students are served uji (ground corn porridge with sugar and oil), the staple diet of the Maasai people.

Community Members Benefit from Ilkurot Nursery School

In 2007, over 1,000 textbooks were purchased, and for the first time students had guides to their studies. During this year, funds were also used to plaster classroom and fit glass windows, which were previously wooden windows, allowing dust in and making the classrooms very dirty. In an effort to control the amount of dust in Ilkurot, a tree and grass planting project was put in place and a 2,000-liter water tank was installed. Almost 500 trees were planted in an effort to limit the dust that flies around and caused many eye infections and dry coughs.

The school was able to employ a Tinga Tinga artist to stay in the village for a few weeks to paint murals and educational drawings on the classroom walls. The school was also able to build a playground – the first playground in the school and in the district – with a basic football pitch, netball court, and volleyball court that allowed for sports education in their curriculum. In 2009, Ilkurot saw many more changes, including the completion a library/teacher’s resource center.

In addition to providing valuable educational opportunities to children, Ilkurot Nursery School also supports teachers and cooks by offering employment, and promotes additional cultural tourism throughout the village. Recently, a building was constructed to include a kitchen, store, staff room and changing room with a 3,000-liter water tank, and six new toilets. Further, the children now all have school uniforms, made as part of another community project that allows women with disabled children to stay at home and earn an income by creating a sewing business.

Maasai Village Life and the Importance of Education

In Maasai villages, young boys are typically sent away with their father’s cattle and accompanied by older morani (warriors) for 3-5 years tending to the cattle. Therefore, the Nursery School has a higher attendance of girls than boys. The girls that attend school also have chores they must complete before or after their lesson. By the time the students are 5 or 6, their mothers may have had 2 or 3 more children, for which the young girls are responsible for. They feed, bathe and carry the smaller children.

The lifestyle of young males and the responsibilities expected of young girls were a hurdle in the Ilkurot community projects. While trying not to disrupt the norms of Maasai life, the school tries to encourage education in the community. The school continually changes lesson schedules and requirements to make it more acceptable to the Maasai community.

The main task of the nursery school is teaching the children Swahili (Tanzania’s national language). Since the primary school curriculum is taught in Swahili only, children who do not learn the language will not be able to advance to primary school. The nursery school also teaches some English phrases because secondary school is taught only in English.

About Global Basecamps

Global Basecamps is a specialty travel company designed to simplify the process of researching and booking sustainable hotels, lodges and private tours worldwide. Travel at your own pace with a custom itinerary or simply find accommodations and excursions so that your trip priorities are met and you have maximum flexibility while on the road. Global Basecamps is the North American representative for Maasai Wanderings.

Los Flamencos National Reserve protects the largest nesting colony of the Andean Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus). Photo: © Hernán Torres

By Marcela Torres

Co-management of protected areas by the State and local communities is one of the best ways to guarantee that tourism will provide economic and social benefits to many people who would otherwise be marginalized, and at the same time that it ensures protection of the environment on which these communities rely on for their income. An excellent example is the Soncor Sector of Los Flamencos National Reserve, in the Atacama Desert of the Antofagasta Region, in northern Chile.

Tourism Development in Los Flamencos National Reserve

Los Flamencos National Reserve is located within the Atacama La Grande Indigenous Development Area, which was established in 1997 to promote sustainable development of the ancient territories of the Lickan Antay peoples. Since then, the Lickan Antay communities have strengthened their ancient rights to use the resources, in many cases using traditional ways and in others, applying modern natural resource management techniques.

When the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) began charging entrance fees to visit the Reserve about a decade ago, the Lickan Antay Community of Toconao cut off the road to access Laguna Chaxa, in the Soncor Sector, to demand that tourism carried out in their ancient territories would also benefit the descendants of this ethnic group that live in this nearby town.

Their action brought about a revision of the plan and CONAF and the Lickan Antay communities signed co-management agreements for four of the seven sectors of the Reserve: Soncor, Miscanti and Miñiques Lagoons, Moon Valley and Tambillo. Income generated from the entrance fees to these sites, which attract national and foreign visitors, has allowed the communities to strengthen programs to aid elderly and disabled people in their communities.

This bilingual sign at the entrance explains the co-management project and the local guide system to visitors. Photo: © Ricardo Cerda

At the same time, a significant amount of these incomes is invested in the management of each sector and staff salaries. The inclusion of local community personnel in the management of these sectors has, in turn, allowed CONAF to redirect its staff to sectors and activities that were previously left largely unattended.

First Sustainable Visitor Center

Because of the increasing interest shown by tourists from the nearby town of San Pedro de Atacama, the community decided to improve the site’s infrastructure and visitor information. To that end, in 2006, it partnered with CONAF and SQM mining company, which exploits lithium in the Atacama Salt Flat, to develop the first sustainable Visitor Center in the country to be built in a protected area.

The project included the architectural design and construction of the Visitor Center, incorporating techniques such as reuse of grey water and electricity generation through solar panels and wind mills. The roads were also repaired and the parking lot expanded.

This was the first sustainable Visitor Center built in a protected area in Chile, using renewable wind and solar energy. Photo: © Hernán Torres

At the same time, a group of local guides was trained, all of them members of the Lickan Antay Community of Toconao, in interpretation techniques, to convey effectively to visitors the natural and cultural values of the area. To support this, five bilingual signs were developed for the interpretive trail and 18 for the inner hall of the Center. A documentary video was also produced, in Spanish with English subtitles, to complement information provided to visitors.

The results could not have been better. Visitors to Laguna Chaxa comment that it is a pleasure to pay an entrance fee because you can see that the revenues are invested in the people and in improving the place, where you no longer find garbage lying around and there is good infrastructure. In addition, tourism has provided local people with a new source of income and each day more and more Lickan Antay Community members seek training to be part of the benefits of responsible tourism.

A local Lickan Antay guide explains the importance of conservation to a group of school children. Photo: © Marcela Torres

Local Lickan Antay guides accompany visitors in the interpretive trail, providing in-depth explanations and answering questions. Photo: © Hernán Torres

Southern Cone Journeys

Southern Cone Journeys is a responsible tourism operator based in Chile. Our tours provide you with a unique opportunity to experience the country’s natural and cultural heritage in depth. We have designed excursions off the beaten path, allowing you to be in close contact with locals and to discover scenic wonders that will take your breath away.

Southern Cone Journeys es un operador de turismo responsable con base en Chile. Nuestras excursiones le brindarán una oportunidad única para experimentar en profundidad el patrimonio natural y cultural de nuestro país. Hemos diseñado excursiones en rutas poco exploradas, que le permitirán entrar en contacto cercano con la gente local y descubrir maravillas paisajísticas que lo dejarán asombrado.

Bandiagara Cliff and the Dogon People

The Bandiagara Cliff, a World Heritage Site in Northwestern Mali, is home of the Dogon People, a tribe that settled there around 1,000 AD. Protected by the natural defense of the Cliff, the Dogon have been cut off from the outside world for centuries and lived according to their traditions: in harmony with nature and following their complex mythology based on ancient legends of the creation of the world. Its population lives in small villages comprised of extended families (100 to 200 dwellers per village, all with the same family name).

Since the 1990s, the Dogon Country has been experiencing a steady growth of tourism thanks to the natural beauty of the Cliff and the Dogon culture with its intricate cosmogony inherited from their ancestors. Wood carvings depicting the Dogon ancient legend of the Creation of the World, as well as local handicraft products such as the mysterious masks used for ceremonies, have become an important source of revenues in the local economy.

Tour Operators’ Impacts on Dogon Villages

The vast majority of tourists traveling to Mali, and especially to remote areas such as the Dogon Country, use a tour operator that will prepare the itinerary, organize all local logistics, and oversee the operations of the ground handler. Travelers usually start from the south of the Cliff and walk their way up to the North, discovering landscapes and villages during the day, sleeping at local and basic accommodations.

These operators choose the villages to work with based on their size, cultural attractions or location, and these choices have led to unbalanced distribution of tourism income among local villages; Some villages see several groups of tourists every day during the high season, while others none. Groups may cross a few villages, but will stop only when their tour guides decide to.

Tour operators’ decisions for organized tours have also led to tensions within village members; the owner of the local guest house, for example, receive revenues from tour groups, which sometimes are earned at the expense of the whole village, as these tourist establishments consume local natural resources such as water that the locals have limited access to.

The short duration of stay in each village is also source of concern. The guests who only spend one night in the village barely have the opportunity to interact with the local population. The few interactions a traveler may have with villagers are mercantile: locals trying to sell their products or children asking for treats and gifts, which in most cases bothers the traveler.

While the visitors come to discover the Dogon Country’s beautiful landscapes and communities, through this type of local experience, the spirit of human relationships and mutual enrichment is lost.

Association Nani E

Association “Neni E” (meaning “Neni, Yes!”) was founded in 2004 by two French brothers, who had lived with an African family for four months and observed the tourist flow passing by the village of Neni. The Association aims to provide a different way to discover the Dogon Country: in a humane, ecologically responsible and ethical manner, giving the travelers a real insight into the life in an African village.

While staying at Guinna Dogon, the only guest house in Neni, guests have the unique opportunity to be immersed in the local life, from fetching water with the children to visiting local craftsmen’s workshops, or spending time under the Toguna with the elders, drinking tea and listening to ancient legends.

Neni E guests stay in one village and explore the surroundings through day trips, which allows travelers to spend time and get to know the host family and villagers, and to build real relationships with their hosts. Each guest’s tour experiences are individually planned, depending on their interests and needs. Several sports activities led by local guides are available, based on the physical condition of the guest – from easy walks to rock climbing, biking, and horseback riding.

Cultural activities are also a great way to meet and interact with the local community: learning the Dogon language, mythology and cosmogony; experiencing the traditional wood carving; being part of the season’s harvest or “field talks”; or taking a cooking class and sharing a meal with the host family.

One of the founders, Pasca (now locally known as Amadomo Perou) has been living in Mali since 2004 and is married to a local wife. As a former outsider who has gained an insider perspective, he is helping build a bridge between “Westerners” and locals – through cultural interpretation and language support – for the benefit of both sides. The founders strongly believe that revenues of tourism should benefit to the local population, stay in the communities where they were generated, and be distributed in a fair manner.

With this goal, Neni E has established the following guidelines regarding key aspects of their tours and their local impact, taking into account the lessons learned from the challenges with larger scale organized tours.

• Food: Instead of buying food from the city, most of the food consumed by Nani E’s guests is bought locally.
• Water: Guests are briefed on the local challenges in terms of clean water and instructed to responsibly use water for their showers, toilets and cooking.
• Gifts: many guests bring along pens & paper, clothes or medication. These are given to the relevant institutions such as local schools and hospital, or shared amongst villagers during a short informal ceremony rather than on a random basis.

>> Learn more about Association Neni E (English / French)

Sápmi Experience Quality Label

Tourism activities under the Sápmi Experience Quality Label are based on the common heritage of the Sámi. Sámi tourism must be sustainable over the long term. This means that tourism must be accepted and established, culturally and socially, in Sámi society, and the host must be able to communicate Sámi values and way of life. Sápmi Experience operators strive for social, cultural, ecological and commercial sustainability. They are companies that respect the integrity of the Sámi culture and work to prevent its objectification. Launched by Visit Sápmi, the Sápmi Experience program promotes responsible practices and unique encounters that “bring joy, pleasure and excitement.”

Sápmi Experience-approved companies include:

• Renbiten: A small Sámi-owned and operated tourism company featuring exclusive Sámi crafts, art and many fine gift ideas, and sharing the stories of Sámi, “the people of eight seasons”. Renbiten specializes in offering travelers the chance to experience the silence, calm and opportunity for the soul to find peace.”
• Njarka Sami Camp: Situated in the Lake Häggsjön region, Åre Municipality, Jämtland, Njarka Sami Camp features a peaceful and harmonious natural setting where reindeer wander freely among the traditional Sámi huts and in the sparse forest. The owners Maud and Mattias Mattsson welcome travelers to experience their land, not by showing you the traditional Sami national clothing, but rather by showing how the Sámi lifestyle looks today.”
• Ájtte – Svenskt Fjäll och Samemuseum (Ájtte Museum in Jokkmokk – the Sami centre): The museum tells the story of Sápmi, the land and the people, of life and survival in a
  demanding climate and environment. It is a story set in the wetlands, forests and mountains. A modern and tasteful approach to the Sámi story, the museum offers a great opportunity for travelers to gain knowledge and to explore the culture, history and heritage of the Sámi people.

>> Learn more about Sápmi Experience-approved companies

Visit Sápmi

VisitSápmi is owned by the Swedish Sámi Association. Together with Gaaltije South Sámi Information Centre, Sápmi Experience seeks to promote responsible and sustainable Sámi tourism. VisitSápmi’s vision is to develop tourism that gives money back to Sámi communities, developed in a more respectful and sustainable way than what we see today, and to collaborate with partners that share the same belief that sustainability is the right path for the future for the Sámi people.

Related Articles

VisitSápmi: Promoting an Authentic Sámi Experience Through Sustainable Tourism
By Lennart Pittja – Sápmi (or Lapland) has long attracted visitors from all over the world, and today it is visited by millions of tourists every year. In spite of this bustling tourist activity, and even though Sámi traditions are frequently portrayed through various media, today we can see very few successful Sámi tourism companies. The Sámi community wants to change this, and wants to be more involved with decision making in the Swedish tourism industry.

Ecotourism Potentials in Sweden and Norway: An Insider’s Perspectives
By Neil Rogers – As a past advisor to Sweden’s Ecotourism Quality Label Nature’s Best, and as current advisor to VisitSápmi and the Quality Label for Sámi indigenous tourism, I’ve seen many positive changes over the years yet much remains to be done. Sweden and Norway have world-class assets for outdoor and experiential travel, and have enviable reputations for image, safety, security, health, hard and soft infrastructure. The question is how to make more of this competitive advantage so that small-scale entrepreneurs can thrive.

By: Mika Santos

Life is full of plusses and minuses. Despite all the advantages of today’s fast-paced digital world, problems such as global warming, stock-market crashes and human-rights violations are also a terrible reality. And while things like health insurance and easy Internet access are now highly prized 21st-century must-haves – making life very different from how our great-grandparents lived just a century ago – the rapid speed of modernisation today makes it nearly impossible to go off the grid. That is, unless you belong to a community in the middle of the tropical jungles of Sabah on the Malaysian part of the island of Borneo.

Organisations like Borneo Ecotourism Solutions and Technologies (BEST) Society help the indigenous Rungus people of Borneo, Malaysia, harness the power of tourism to maintain their vibrant performing arts, customs and traditions. Photo courtesy of Borneo Eco Tours

The Remote Society of the Rungus

Borneo is home to the Rungus people, one of the island’s few remaining indigenous ethnic groups who reside in the area surrounding the former capital of Kudat. The peaceful Rungus culture revolves around the subsistence cultivation of rice and other crops, and the women are known for their weaving skills and intricate beadwork. In fact, the Rungus are famous for their distinct traditional dress: they wear black attire elaborately accessorised with antique beadwork worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Traditionally the women also wear heavy brass coils around their arms, legs and neck, accompanied by white and coral shell bracelets.

To this day the Rungus live in longhouses, which are extended single-floor structures elevated off the ground on stilts. Designed with an emphasis on community, longhouses have large common rooms but separate sleeping quarters for individual families. Many of these longhouses can still be seen in ethnic regions around Malaysia, but the sad reality is that the numbers are steadily dwindling, along with the traditions and cultures of minority groups. Kudat is one of the last remaining places to find longhouses in Sabah.

The indigenous Rungus people of Borneo, Malaysia, live in traditional longhouse structures, which are raised from the ground on stilts and shared by several families. Photo courtesy of Borneo Eco Tours

Cultural Tourism in Northern Borneo

The Rungus people lead unassuming lives, their job opportunities being limited to what is available to them through agriculture, weaving and building. They have therefore struggled to keep up with the economic demands of modern times, mindful of wishing to hold on to their traditions.

All hope is not lost, however, thanks to organisations like Borneo Ecotourism Solutions and Technologies (BEST) Society, a non-profit foundation launched by Borneo Eco Tours, the whl.travel local connection in Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan, Malaysia. BEST Society focuses on the sustainable development of Borneo’s local communities, utilising the benefits of tourism to provide opportunities for employment and income. On a Cultural Safari tour to North Borneo, for example, travellers are brought to the heart of a Rungus village, where they can stay in a longhouse with a family for a night and truly immerse themselves in the fascinating culture.

Dance performers keep traditional Rungus culture and costume alive through shows in their villages and on tour in the rest of Borneo and Malaysia. Photo courtesy of Borneo Eco Tours

In return, BEST Society helps with the maintenance of the longhouses and conducts community development programs that promote and preserve local traditions, as well as provide sustainable income. The people of these villages have learned to capitalise on their strengths as Rungus and are pleased to share their culture with travellers from the rest of the world.

Today, many of the Rungus are dispersed across major cities elsewhere in Malaysia and earning a living like everyone else. However, thanks to renewed local tourism efforts like those led by BEST Society, Rungus culture is not lost; the Rungus have been given reasons to be proud of who they are.

While the Rungus people can often be found performing in Malaysia’s cultural shows, now their traditional way of life is being reinforced in their native regions. Sometimes it is possible for the effects of modern tourism to go hand in hand with peaceful and responsible cultural development.

As part of a community-based tourism experience, travellers to Borneo, Malaysia, can stay inside traditional longhouses with Rungus families to sample their way of life. Photo courtesy of Borneo Eco Tours

About the Author: Mika Santos

 Mika Santos is Regional Content Editor and Programme Development Manager for the WHL Group in the Asia-Pacific region. Born and raised in the tropical Philippine Islands, she loves the outdoors and anything to do with the ocean, from surfing and scuba diving to the laid-back lifestyle around it. She also lives to travel in her own country, around Southeast Asia and the rest of the world.

Maasai Mara World Tourism Day Celebration

Basecamp Foundation Kenya and Mara Naboisho Conservancy, in collaboration with The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), will celebrate the World Tourism Day (September 27th, 2011) for the first time in Maasai Mara, a national game reserve in Southwestern Kenya. The Maasai Mara World Tourism Day celebration will be hosted at Koiyaki Guiding School, at the heart of Mara Naboisho Conservancy and will be graced by guests from the operating tourism partner camps within the conservancy including: Valley Camp (Kicheche), Naboisho Camp (Asilia/Rekero), Basecamp Wilderness Camp (Basecamp Explorer), Porini Camps and Mara Encounter (African Encounter).

The event will showcase the diverse cultures represented by the guests, African Impact volunteers, students at Koiyaki Guide School, Olesere Primary School children, and community members, and will feature cultural interpretation by young Masai Moran and Maasai girls and women. Local community members will share the meaning of the variations in their differing attires and demonstrate their cultural dance. The women group will not only showcase their beautiful clothing and jewellery but will also bring along some for sale to the guests to promote the cultural exchange as well as contribute to the economic development of the conservancy by promoting the community crafts.

Guests attending the event are encouraged to wear their national attires, and be ready to dance to their cultural dances when called upon. A display of all the flags will be showcased at the schools’ resource centre.

TIES is proud to partner with Basecamp Foundation to promote the World Tourism Day event in Maasai Mara this year, and look forward to celebrating the world’s diverse cultures with our members from around the world!

About World Tourism Day

World Tourism Day (WTD) is celebrated annually on September 27th. Commenced in 1980 by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the date commemorates the day on which the Statutes of the UNWTO were adopted (1970), a significant milestone in global tourism.

The purpose of WTD is to raise awareness of the role of tourism in the international community, and to demonstrate how it affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide. WTD seeks address global challenges outlined in the Millennium Development Goals and to highlight the contribution the tourism sector can make in reaching these goals.

“World Tourism Day is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of tourism to global well-being. As we travel, let us engage with other cultures and celebrate human diversity. On this observance, let us recognize tourism as a force for a more tolerant, open and united world.” – Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General

World Tourism Day 2011 will be celebrated under the theme “Tourism Linking Cultures,” and is an opportunity to highlight tourism’s role in bringing the cultures of the world together and promoting global understanding and tolerance. The official WTD celebrations by the UNWTO will be hosted in Aswan, Egypt.

“Thanks to tourism, millions of people from different cultures are being brought together around the world like never before,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “This interaction between people of different backgrounds and ways of life represents an enormous opportunity to advance tolerance, respect and mutual understanding. WTD 2011 is a call to all those involved in tourism to act in a way that is conscious and respectful of culture, which promotes intercultural dialogue and ensures that local communities fully participate in, and benefit from, the development opportunities of tourism.”

About Basecamp Foundation

Basecamp Foundation is a non-profit tourism based organization that works with host communities and partner organizations in tourism destinations to create sustainable destinations in developing countries. Ecotourism principles and values is at the core of Basecamp work – to create a forum for host communities and to demonstrate positive impacts of tourism on the natural, social and economic environment.

The wisdom of Guugu Yimithirr elder Willie Gordon is what distinguishes his Guurrbi Aboriginal tours from others; rather than entertainment for tourists, Willie offers ancient stories oriented toward the human soul. (Photo courtesy of Guurrbi Tours)

By Karolyn Wrightson

I was sitting with a friend while he read The Wall Street Journal. “Here is an article about an Aboriginal tour in Australia run by an elder named Willie Gordon. I guess you know all about it,” he said. I grabbed his paper and started reading.

As a travel agent who plans custom itineraries to Australia and New Zealand, I search for tours that help travellers really experience what they see, particularly regarding native culture. I’ve attended Aboriginal dance festivals, camped with Aborigines in deserts and ranges, and hiked to dozens of rock art sites. In contrast, most tourists have just a dose of Aboriginal contact in a tour – a show, really – that is more entertainment than education. My dilemma has been finding tours for travellers with limited time that leave them with a powerful, lasting impression of Aboriginal culture that is also relevant to the past and present.

It may be entertaining to see how animals were killed with boomerangs, but no Aborigine hunts that way today.

So I put Willie Gordon’s Rainbow Serpent tour on my list for the next trip. Now a few months later, I was following him on a hillcrest path overlooking broad escarpments at Wangaar-Wuri to see the rock art sites in his country.

Cultural Tourism Near Cooktown

Willie’s country is near Cooktown, a place in the state of Queensland I’ve described as “the end of the paved road” in northeast Australia. It is the sort of small and friendly remote town people describe as “the real Australia” and one of the country’s most historic townships.

Cooktown is where Lt. James Cook found safe harbour after his ship, the HMB Endeavour, struck coral on the Great Barrier Reef and was seriously damaged. It was also the first place that Willie’s people, the Guugu Yimithirr, saw white people. The James Cook Museum here is a fine regional museum that has thoughtfully crafted displays describing those historic encounters from the viewpoints of Cook’s crew and the Aboriginal people.

Ancient Aboriginal Origin Stories

In Cooktown, after meeting Willie, our small group walked with him. Along the way, Willie began telling the story of his people – a story that starts in a time that can only be measured in other stories, the so-called Dreamtime. “In the Beginning was The Word,” says the Bible in the New Testament Book of John. “In the beginning were the Mimi Spirits,” an Aboriginal guide said to me at a rock art site in Arnhem Land. “We have been here since The Beginning,” says an Aboriginal elder in the Flinders Ranges.

Willie is far more likely simply to ask a traveller “When was the Beginning for you?” I’ve yet to hear someone able to answer him. It is quite humbling to be in the presence of someone who is still in touch with his Beginning.

I’ve seen rock paintings of animals that have been extinct for thousands of years, and paintings of one clan’s first sighting of ships and men on horseback. But in far too many magnificent rock art sites, the full story has been lost. Present-day Aborigines in Australia are the grandchildren of men and women whose children were stolen from them and put in ‘schools’ to become ‘civilised.’ Consistent with that, Aboriginal guides sometimes merely tell visitors a version of a story that an academic rock art scholar told them to say. The lucky ones – like Willie – learned what they know directly from elders and grandparents.

Aboriginal elder Willie Gordon of Guurrbi Tours meets travellers at the beginning of the Rainbow Serpent tour in Cooktown, Queensland, Australia, the “end of the paved road” and gateway to “the real Australia.” (Photo courtesy of flickr.com/buymyday)

Teaching Valuable Lessons

Willie tells the story of a painting rather briefly. It is not so much ‘art’ as it is instruction. To ensure that he bridges the gap between his culture and ours, he begins with his family’s story, then relates that to the story the visitor has (or lacks). And this is what makes Willie different: his remarkable sense of what each visitor brings to the moment. Once I witnessed him use the presence of a child to make a story relevant. Another time, he sensed a traveller’s indifference and crafted his questions in such a way that the man clearly left the tour wondering why he had never considered the need for a spiritual life.

Willie does not confuse organised religion with spirituality. There are no sermons here, but each time I take the tour I am left pondering things for weeks. My clients come back speaking of his ancient wisdom, his powerful presence. They marvel that in two hours his tour had a bigger impact on them than anything else they did in Australia.

Listening to the Land

As far as the eye can see, the landscape of the Aborigines is filled with stories that tell them how to live. Since the land instructs them, they understand that we are not here to conquer land but to care for it so that life can be handed down to the next generation. Their success at this has earned them the distinction of being the world’s oldest continuing culture.

On his tours near Cooktown, Australia, Aboriginal elder Willie Gordon puts people in touch with the landscape of his country. (Photo courtesy of Guurrbi Tours)

Like most Westerners, I have lost the footprints of my ancestors. To even begin to understand ancient Aboriginal culture and its survival, you must leave the city and go into the bush on a walkabout with an elder. How fortunate we are that there are elders like Willie Gordon who have dedicated their lives to enriching ours immeasurably.

About the Author: Karolyn Wrightson

Karolyn Wrightson owns Essential Downunder Travel in Asheville, North Carolina, which specialises in custom itineraries to Australia and New Zealand. She is particularly knowledgeable about Aboriginal and Maori culture. Her work has won many awards, including five Opal Awards from Tourism Australia. One of her outback itineraries was selected by National Geographic Traveler’s Tours of a Lifetime in 2009. Before starting her agency, she was a writer/journalist in New York. She has been a guest lecturer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She expects soon to publish a book, The Great Australian Spirit: One Woman’s Journey Inside the Outback.

By Victoria Okoye

Mole National Park, located in Northern Ghana, is a remarkable natural landscape. This grand expanse of nature is the country’s largest national park and its largest protected ecosystem. As a wildlife reserve, it is refuge to nearly 100 different mammal species, more than 300 types of birds and in excess of 30 kinds of reptiles. It is understandably also a major tourism destination for travellers to Ghana.

Diverse Natural Features and Communities

In addition to the rich biodiversity within its borders, Mole National Park is surrounded by nearly 30 indigenous rural communities, all of which rely on the land for their livelihood.

The farming eco-village of Mognori is located in Gonjaland, in Ghana’s northern region, 15 kilometres from Mole National Park. M&J Travel and Tours works in the local community to teach and train women about shea-butter production methods, a way to promote sustainable incomes for the women and their families. Photo courtesy of M&J Travel and Tours

The land for the park was initially set aside as a wildlife refuge in 1958, but in 1971, the government relocated the human populations and designated the land as a national park. The government also annexed a sizable chunk of indigenous land, thereby compromising the welfare of families and communities that earned their income directly from the land. Unfortunately, the line between community lands and park property – between accessible commons and nature preserve – has blurred over time as a result and the actions of the communities have been at odds with efforts to preserve the national park and Ghana’s natural savannah.

Today, the relocated indigenous communities continue to struggle to survive, and their traditional subsistence activities, including hunting and woodcutting for fuel, have over the past decades degraded the parkland and resulted in substantial loss of the park’s biodiversity.

Marian Thompson (in yellow skirt), the whl.travel local connection in Northern Ghana, is welcomed by the Magazaya (elected leader and spokeswoman) of a woman’s group of shea-nut pickers. Marian and her tour agency, M&J Travel and Tours, work to empower these women in fringe communities near Mole National Park. Photo courtesy of M&J Travel and Tours

Identifying an Ecotourism Opportunity

When M&J Travel and Tours, a local Ghanaian tour operator and the whl.travel local partner in Northern Ghana, opened an office in Mole in 2010, addressing the issues raised by the park’s fringe communities fit perfectly with the organisation’s commitment to ecotourism and sustainability. Since its launch 20 years ago, M&J has consistently sought to make a positive impact on local communities through tourism.

In June 2010, M&J Travel and Tours therefore launched a shea-butter income-generating project that targeted women’s groups as they’re the main harvesters of the abundant shea trees’ oily nuts from which they then produce a buttery byproduct that is used as a key ingredient in moisturiser creams and cosmetics, hair conditioners, cooking oil, medicinal ointments and soap. Shea-butter production is already a major economic industry in Ghana and the rest of the West African region, where Ghana is now also the leading producer.

Shea-butter production in Ghana is a multi-step process that begins with harvesting the shea in fruit nut form. The shea are washed and rinsed to remove dirt and other impurities. The clean fruit nuts are then sun dried, making it possible to sort out any bad ones. Photo courtesy of M&J Travel and Tours

“The main idea is that when the government took over Mole Park, they took over a huge chunk of [local communities'] land, compromising the women’s ability to pursue their traditional activities, such as hunting and farming,” commented Arnold Asafu-Adjaye, Head of Sales and Marketing at M&J. “What was left were the shea butter trees. So, we saw the need to develop this industry.” This community issue is now at the heart of the M&J’s corporate social responsibility initiative in Mole.

Women Shea-Butter Producers

Before this project, while local women were already organized to produce Shea butter, it was only at a small scale. Now, numbers have grown, and approximately 30 percent of all economic activity for the national park fringe communities results from some aspect of Shea-butter production.

In shea-butter production in Ghana, boiling the fruit nuts softens the outer flesh so that it can be removed, revealing the nut’s shell. Photo courtesy of M&J Travel and Tours

Women continue to be the primary producers, while the men serve as hunters and search for other work alternatives. The women, who mostly stay in the home, are located in close proximity to the shea trees. Although the women now work longer hours now than they used to – farming and tending to the shea trees, harvesting and processing the nuts – their work provides vital additional income to support their families. In total, M&J estimates that some 10,000 women are actively engaged in shea-butter production for commercial trade in northern Ghana, although M&J works directly with only about 350 of them.

Developing a Viable, Local Industry

Of course, introducing Shea butter as a sustainable industry is only the one part of what needs to be accomplished; working with the women to strengthen their rate and quality of production is just as key to ensuring that the women and their families improve their output and reap the full benefits of their efforts. Therefore, in partnership with a nongovernmental organization called TechnoServe, M&J is working to provide technical training for the women in quality nut picking, quality butter processing and marketing.

There is also hope of collaboration with other agencies and nongovernmental organizations, all involving strong partnerships with financial institutions so as to provide credit facilities to help the women launch viable small-scale businesses. The women must also overcome existing challenges in the production of Shea products, including quality controls, finding consistent buyers for their products and producing at a level that meets customers’ demand, thus ensuring a good return on their time and investments.

In shea-butter production in Ghana, the shells of the shea nut are cracked open to reveal the inner nut. Photo courtesy of M&J Travel and Tours

Building a Customer Base

According to Mr. Asafu-Adjaye, what the women are now predominantly looking for is buyers, especially those that can ensure their product reaches external markets. At present, sales are more locally based and focus on attracting tourists who visit the Mole National Park. Their Shea butter is not yet available even in the capital city of Accra or other major urban centers such as Kumasi and Takoradi, although M&J is in discussion with local companies that support Ghana-made products.

M&J is also looking partnerships with other potential customers, such as tourism and hospitality services.
“Shea for us is very important in the tourism supply, since products such as soap can be supplied to [those in the] hospitality industry and also become attraction sites to tourists who want to participate in alternative tourism,” explained Marian Thompson, Managing Director of M&J.

Promoting Local Sustainability

In parallel with the support of the women in Mole, the experts at M&J Travel & Tours are actively pursuing other areas of socially responsible engagement with the communities in which it works, from supporting reforestation in northern Ghana to alleviating the effects of climate change and providing local employment opportunities. Another community project with which the company is presently involved will upgrade the quality of stoves used in local homes to reduce smoke, improve the environment and promote family health in the region.

In shea-butter production in Ghana, the inner nuts are fried in large pans to soften them. The nuts are then converted into a fine paste through a process of kneading, adding water, heating, filtration and then solidification into Shea butter as we know it. Photo courtesy of M&J Travel and Tours

For M&J Travel, the Shea-butter initiative is targeted at ensuring local communities share in the gains that local tourism brings to the national economy.

“The main thing is that we think about the communities that we work in,” says Mr. Asafu-Adaye. “It’s not just about bringing tourists; it’s about being a part of the community as well. When the tourists do come in to see what they want and are satisfied with everything, how is the local community affected? We need to be a part of the local community, to make sure they are self-sustainable. And in doing that, we’re working with them on Shea butter production, making sure they aren’t left out.”

About the Author: Victoria Okoye

Victoria is a freelance community-development and communications consultant based in Accra, Ghana, where she works on local cultural promotion, tourism and environment projects. She also writes a blog, where she explores her interest in West African cities and the people that make them work. She has a bachelors degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri and masters degrees in International Affairs and Urban Planning from Columbia University, in New York City.

Traditional farmers plant rice outside Ban Nam Lue, a small village about 15 kilometres west of Luang Namtha town in northern Laos. Photo courtesy of Kees Sprengers

By Cynthia Ord

Living in splendid isolation in the remote mountains around Luang Namtha in northern Laos, the country’s most traditional ethnic groups have for centuries cultivated rice and inhabited small rural villages. For these tribes, however, change is afoot. They’re at a crossroads between traditional ways of life and the forces of modernity and tourism. In 1993, the surrounding region was declared the Nam Ha National Biodiversity Conservation Area, and since then, streams of tourists plan treks to enjoy the outdoors of Nam Ha and the culture of Laos’ ethnic groups.

Conservation efforts and ecotourism projects in the area aim to pass the benefits of tourism on to the local people, yet finding the right way to moderate contact between Lao subsistence farmers and westernised tourists is not easy. Travellers want to understand and appreciate the distinct practices and customs of ethnic groups like the Akha, Khmu, Hmong and Lahu, but oftentimes they lack a solid cultural context. Of course, language too is a big barrier. In response to this, the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre in Luang Prabang provides all visitors with the kind of well-grounded insight they seek.

Beginnings of the TAEC

The two founders of the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre (TAEC), Tara Gujadhur and Thongkhoun Soutthivilay, recognised a need for more easily accessible information about Laos’ diversity of cultures and ethnic groups. They began TAEC as a project in 2005 and opened doors to the public in 2007. Tara’s background in sustainable tourism development and anthropology complemented Thongkhoun’s 10 years of experience as Collection Manager at the Luang Prabang National Museum.

Inside the TAEC in Luang Namtha Laos, the local dress of the area’s traditional ethnic groups and other aspects of their culture are displayed. Photo courtesy of TAEC/Kees Sprengers

More than five years later, Tara is pleased to report that support for TAEC has grown healthily. Word is spreading and now the ethnography museum is included in most guidebooks and itineraries. “Visitors are very appreciative to be learning more information about the country and people, and they’re often interested in hearing about our school activities, outreach and livelihoods work,” says Tara.

Complex Impacts

When asked about the positive effects of tourism on Laos’ ethnic groups, Tara readily lists several. She has seen how tourists can help create interest in the cultures and traditions of ethnic groups, a point of real pride within the communities. This is an important cue to the government about the importance of safeguarding ethnic heritage.

In the Hmong village of Ban Tha Luang in northern Laos, girls dress in traditional costume, play games and sing songs to celebrate the Hmong New Year. Photo courtesy of Kees Sprengers

Tourists also create demand for traditional crafts such as weaving, basketry, natural dying and woodcarving, which might otherwise slowly die out. Currently, the TAEC Museum Shop supports over 500 ethnic artisans from 12 provinces in Laos. Additionally, museum donations have gone to ethnic youth internships, village research funds and developing handicrafts with rural minority communities.

Unless programs are careful planned, however, there can be some negative consequences for tourism’s main stakeholders: the ethnic groups themselves. “Uncontrolled or poorly managed tourism and a rapid influx of new wealth can create community tension and hasten the erosion of social structures and community ties,” observes Tara. “Sometimes tourism also can exoticise, commodify or compartmentalise ethnic minorities, making villages into attractions rather than vibrant living cultures.”

The father of a Khmu family in Laos eats with his children inside their home in Ban Sopsim on the Nam Tha river. Photo courtesy of Kees Sprengers

Keeping it Positive

So how can travellers to Luang Namtha ensure that their presence is beneficial to local communities? First, you are encouraged to gain a little bit of understanding about the ethnic groups by visiting the TAEC or at least doing some background reading about local Lao cultures and traditions. Secondly, you can contribute to the economy as locally as possibly. You are strongly encouraged to buy new and locally produced handicrafts (as opposed to antiques or factory-produced souvenirs) directly from communities, small markets or fair trade stores.

It is also important to arrange tours through operators with good records. Look for agencies with solid community partnerships or those that have been designated as ‘responsible’ by independent third parties. Tours in which ethnic minorities are made to ‘dress up’ or are photographed and visited without being compensated should be avoided. Also, any tour guides who do not speak or behave respectfully to local people should be reported to their tour companies.

In many of the ethnic villages of northern Laos, the traditional housing style is a stilted hut with thatched grass roof. Photo courtesy of Kees Sprengers

Unfortunately, bad behaviour sometimes comes from locals because they think that’s what tourists want. Try not to reinforce this pattern.

Looking Ahead

As in the rest of the world, the lives of indigenous ethnic groups are changing rapidly. In Laos, faced with the forces of globalisation, subsistence farmers in rural areas often choose to leave their traditional ways of life in search of better opportunities in urban areas or abroad. Local, responsible tourism in these areas can provide them with opportunities in their home villages that impart the value of their unique cultural heritage.

What will the village life of Laos’ ethnic groups look like 50 years from now? Tara is optimistic. “These are vibrant cultures, and though they will change and evolve and perhaps be almost unrecognisable in 50 years, for the most part they will remain intact. Tourism can help to celebrate culture and create an appreciation for ethnic diversity.”

In villages such as Tai Dam, Laos, young girls learn the craft of weaving at an early age. Tourists can help maintain a demand for traditional handicrafts such as this, keeping new generations interested in learning. Photo courtesy of Kees Sprengers

Additional Information

Looking for a responsible trekking tour in Luang Namtha? Try a two-day or a three-day trek in the Nam Ha forests, where you’ll encounter the Akha and Khmu ethnic groups. Book through responsible tourism experts Teamworkz, the whl.travel local partner in Luang Namtha. Of course, when in Luang Prabang, be sure to visit the Traditional Arts and Ethnography Centre.

Author Bio: Cynthia Ord

Cynthia Ord discovered the WHL Group while interning with the local partner Outdoor Albania for a summer. She is currently based in South America, working with WHL Assist, helping out with The Travel Word, and planning her next trip. On the side, she writes about the impacts of tourism for her blog, thoughts on tourism, people, and the earth.