Shawenequanape Kipichewin:One nation's eco-tourism success story

For tourists tired of the rampant commercialism plaguing most tourist destinations, Shawenequanape Kipichewin camp, located at Lake Katherine in Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba, is a guaranteed antidote.

Developed by the West Region Tribal Council's seven member first nations, this traditional Ojibway camp opened in 1995 in an attempt to create a sustainable eco-tourism industry for the tribal council and to broaden awareness of Aboriginal culture, heritage and history.

#And in four short years they seem to have more than met those two objectives.

Visitors to the camp are offered the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities such as a hike along an interpretive trail, where expert camp guides relate the history of the area that has been the traditional lands of the Anishinabe people for thousands of years.

Introducing guests to the role the land has played in their history, guides provide information on the various traditional herbs and medicines found in the rich boreal forest, as well as identifying the haunt of the wealth of wildlife in the area.

Other activities in the camp include demonstrations by Elders of traditional leather tanning, the preparation of traditional dishes, as well as the crafting of traditional artwork.

The camp also offers guests modern camping facilities for tenters or RV units that provide all of the amenities.

For a truly authentic First Nations' experience, visitors can camp out in any one of a dozen traditional tipis that serve as the focal point and heart of the camp. Set up only metres from the lake, the camp makes it seems as if time had stood still.

The idyllic setting of the camp, in the land Anishinabe people refer to as Noo-sa-wah-nih-jiw (Chasing Mountain), would, in and of itself, seem to guarantee visitors an exhilarating and memorable experience. But when placed in the context of the varied and rich activities the camp offers, the opportunity of an 'experience of a lifetime' is impossible to ignore.

Guests also have the opportunity to witness traditional powwows, which are regularly held at the camp.

However, it is also a business with a sophisticated philosophy of operation that stresses an unflinching commitment to provide a quality experience, but one which is consistent with the early lifestyles of Aboriginal peoples within the region.

Camp administrators stress the Anishinabe philosophy that all living things are equal in every respect and have their own equal purpose towards life.

It's an outlook they bring into play in all their partnerships on the premise of mutual co-operation and support, so vital in the highly competitive tourism market. Although the challenges have been daunting - the response has been overwhelming; with visitors from across Europe and as far away as Australia beating a path to the camp.