Visiting Saskatoon, Saskatchewan through Indigenous Tourism Experiences
This blog post was written before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when physical distancing and other COVID health and safety protocols were not in effect. The businesses and communities featured in this article may be once again welcoming visitors but please double check as some are only open with limited operations and others have not yet reopened.
Join Ashlyn George as she visits and gets to know her home city, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, through the many Indigenous tourism experiences available here. Visiting Gordon Tootoosis Nikaniwin Theatre, and Wanuskewin Heritage Park, Ashlyn learns more about Saskatoon and falls in love with the city all over again.
Visiting Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Through Indigenous Tourism Experiences from Indigenous Tourism Canada on Vimeo.
Visiting Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Through Indigenous Tourism Experiences from Indigenous Tourism Canada on Vimeo.
For over 6,000 years, Wanuskewin Heritage Park was a gathering place for nomadic Aboriginal peoples of the Northern Plains. It was an ideal area to hunt bison, collect food and medicinal plants and escape that prairie wind. The site, which holds spiritual significance, is also home to an ancient medicine wheel.
Today, people come from around the world to visit Wanuskewin’s archeological sites, home to Canada’s longest-running dig, with the University of Saskatchewan doing research here for the past 35 years. Visitors can experience medicine walks, sleep in a tipi, dine on bison stew, take in art and dance performances. The unique cultural experience will only deepen as the park undergoes a $40-million renewal,, seeks UNESCO World Heritage Site designation and brings in a small herd of bison.
Their long-term vision is to become a global centre of excellence in fostering education and respect for the land-based on expressions of Indigenous culture, heritage and arts as well as a beloved urban park.
Dené Sinclair
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