Kanata: The 17th century Iroquois experience

Guide Page 9

Step back in time through four centuries and live at Kanata (pronounced Gah-na-dah) as a 17th century Iroquois person, making fire by friction, tanning hides, pounding corn, and playing First Nations games like double ball and snow snake.

Participants will dwell in the elm and cedar longhouse and eat authentic Native cuisine made by their own hands at the 22.5 acre replica of the 17th century Native village.

This four-day immersion tourist package beginning in November is called the White Pine Winter Experience and is "the national winner of the Win with Winter in Canada contest sponsored by the Canadian Tourism Commission," said the designer of the package, cultural interpreter at Kanata, Aaron Bell. Bell has been a cultural interpreter for more than 10 years and enjoys giving tours of Kanata to visitors.

As part of their prize for winning the contest, Kanata will be featured on 250,000 brochures printed by the Canadian Tourism Commission, which will promote Kanata around the world in the upcoming tourism season.

Kanata curator Skip Pennell is enthusiastic about the tourist season ahead and is anticipating the arrival of more than 15,000 people throughout the summer.

There is already much that Kanata has to offer the tourist who thirsts for knowledge about early Native life. Since it's opening in May 2000, Kanata has developed many packages that can accommodate any age visitor, as well as customize visits to specific needs.

"Our programs can range from two hours to four days," said Pennell. "We host Boy Scout and Brownie groups. They can earn their Aboriginal badge, craft badge, and heritage badge all right here," he added.

Some of the packages that Kanata has to offer are Journey The Highway Of The Iroquois, a canoe trip package in partnership with Grand Experiences canoe business, Songs My Paddle Sings, in partnership with Chiefswood National Historic Site, birthplace of poet Pauline Johnson, Iroquoian Experiences, overnight stays in the longhouse, and the Village Pathways, which also features visits to the Woodland Cultural Centre and Her Majesty's Royal Chapel of the Mohawks, which are both in the same area.

In March 2001, Kanata was part of the Six Nations and New Credit Marketing Collective that sent delegates to Berlin to promote its Iroquoian Experiences.

"There's great demand (for our type of tourist venue), especially from Europe," said Pennell. "We just had a Dutch group in this morning." Pennell also notices a change in the driving market with an increase of visitors driving in from New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Kanata is also building partnerships with the city of Brantford as it anticipates the opening of its new tourism centre in September. Kanata will have a major presence in Brantford's tourism centre, which will feature pavilions and six hanging picture banners of influential Native people. Last July, Kanata joined Brantford's International Villages roster and won the award for Best Cultural Display.

"We're expecting a huge increase of business to our site as a result of our tour promotions and excellent feedback from our current visitors," said Pennell.

Winner of the Best New Attraction in Ontario for 2000, Kanata has plans to expand the facility, which houses one longhouse and an educational centre.

Journey Through Creation Maze, North America's largest symbolic hedge maze that depicts the Iroquois creation story, is scheduled for more tree planting.