EQUALITY
RAINFORESTS UNDER INDIGENOUS CARE
TOFINO, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
As you make new travel memories you can make meaningful decisions about which businesses you support. Watch for businesses that back Indigenous land management programs. Communities, like the Tla-o-qui-aht in Tofino, British Columbia, have stewarded the land for centuries and deserve to share in the economic benefits of tourism in their ancestral homes.
What's
changing
Some places in the world have Indigenous residents who have long stewarded the lands but have often been excluded from development decisions. Innovative ally programs across Canada are establishing more equitable approaches to reconciliation by involving Indigenous communities in shaping and benefiting from tourism.
What's already
possible
In Tofino (Načiks), British Columbia, which is in the unceded territory of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, a program called Tribal Parks Allies is funding land management projects run by the traditional stewards of the land.
Seizing
the opportunity
Businesses in Tofino that become a Tribal Parks ally pledge to contribute 1% fee collected from transactions to Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks. The revenue gathered from this ecosystem service fee is invested into the people and programs that care for the area and community. It also funds the Tribal Parks Guardians program, where Tla-o-qui-aht People take a hands-on role of stewarding the largest remaining intact rainforests on Vancouver Island. Guardians are involved with environmental monitoring, restoration, cleanup and management of protected areas.
Standout
tactic
Tribal Parks Guardians often turn to lessons from their dialect of the Nuu-chah-nulth language to guide traditional stewardship practices. Since many Indigenous terms have no direct English translation, this focus on language offers invaluable insights into how these lands were revered and protected long before their survival was jeopardized by colonialism and logging. With only 20 to 30 native speakers of the language remaining, passing it on to new generations aids in its survival for the next generation and the ecological lessons that it holds.
How
it helps
In 2023, 120 Tribal Parks Allies contributed more than 250,000 Canadian dollars toward stewardship efforts.
Diving
deeper
As tourism puts pressure on popular destinations, how can ally programs adapt their funding models to ensure they have enough to effectively address the escalating environmental impacts from high volumes of visitors?
Increasing
impact
Tourism in Tofino generates CA$400 million annually. If the entire industry supported the 1% fee or increased their contributions, millions of dollars could easily be redirected to fund stewardship projects for the Tribal Parks that are a major reason so many visitors come to the area.
Traveling
better
Travel is inherently carbon intensive. Whether you are taking a mini-break or an annual vacation, consider ways to minimize your impact by staying longer in one place, reconsidering how you travel to the destination, and supporting businesses that are working to make their community and the world a better place.
