When tourism operators Archie and Dawn Waquan stock up on supplies for their rural northern Alberta inn, they can't just hop in the truck and head for the city to shop.

Based in the remote hamlet of Fort Chipewyan, the couple has only four months of the year in which to travel by road through the frozen bogs, creeks and rivers of the vast and isolated Athabasca River Delta.

The nearest city, Fort McMurray, is three hours south by winter ice road - and Edmonton another four hours south via busy Highway 63.

During the other eight months of the year, access to the hamlet of 1,000 residents is limited to a 30-minute flight, three-day canoe journey or five-hour powerboat trek.

Photo courtesy of Debra Cummings/Travel Alberta
Former Mikisew Cree First Nation chief Archie Waquan has faced unique challenges as a hotelier in Fort Chipewyan, Alta.

"Shipping by barge or plane is too expensive, so we have four months to figure out what we need for the rest of the year," says Archie, a former chief of the Mikisew Cree First Nation (MCFN) who operates the Wah Pun Bed & Breakfast with his wife Dawn. "The whole community looks forward to the winter road opening in the first part of December. Everybody's itching to get out."

Like many other First Nations-owned companies across Canada, the Waquans have faced unique challenges over the past seven years in building and expanding their six-suite B&B in Alberta's oldest continually settled community.

Wah Pun caters primarily to government, corporate or service-sector clients along with tourists such as anglers, bird-watchers and other recreationists.

The B&B, one of only two inns in the town, is currently adding three more suites and meeting facilities.

Waquan admits growth has been challenged by a lack of tourism infrastructure, a shortage of trained and available staff and sheer physical isolation.

Yet the community also holds huge potential for tourism and economic development because of its historical significance as a former Northwest Co. fur-trading post.

It is also situated on the fringe of Wood Buffalo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that boasts some of the rarest flora, fauna and wildlife in the world.

"We have an untapped potential to produce Aboriginal tourism that is world-class," says Dale Monaghan, local tourism co-ordinator and spokesman for Aboriginal-owned Air Mikisew - one of about six businesses operating under the umbrella of the MCFN.

The airline offers several scheduled and charter flights a day from Fort Chipewyan to Fort McMurray as well as to Edmonton's city centre airport.

Monaghan praised a recently-announced Alberta government initiative - the Aboriginal Tourism Advisory Council, consisting of native leaders and government officials - for putting a framework in place for to promote travel-related products in native communities. As well, a six-month feasibility study is underway to explore the economic viability of creating a major historic site where the town's fort once stood.

"We've got all these pieces of the puzzle, but they've got to be put together," Monaghan says. "We need to help First Nations communities develop tourism products that tap into their culture and traditions."

It's a similar story across Canada, home to an estimated 633 Aboriginal groups, according to the Assembly of First Nations.

A 2003 study by Aboriginal Tourism Canada, a coalition of native tourism companies, private companies and government, indicates growing interest in Aboriginal/cultural attractions among international visitors - especially those from Europe and the United States.

The national study cites funding shortfalls, staff training issues and poor community awareness as the major hurdles to development, but noted native tourism generated about $270 million in revenue in 1999 (the most recent figures available).

That revenue is forecasted to reach the $1.9-billion mark by 2010, the study says.

The tourism commission has embarked on a three-year strategy to help maximize the potential of First Nations tourist attractions.

Several provinces have responded by developing their own strategies for Aboriginal tourism. Alberta, for example, has announced the creation of the recently-formed Aboriginal tourism advisory council.

In British Columbia, Aboriginal Tourism B.C. has developed a new marketing program and website (www.aboriginalbc.com) that offers links to Aboriginal-owned tourism attractions across the province.

Launched this spring, it offers information on the diverse indigenous peoples in each region, including an introduction to culture, food, history, festivals, pow-wows and heritage.

It's part of an overall strategy by government and First Nations operators to develop products and experiences for tourists, says Linnea Battel, a board member of Aboriginal Tourism B.C. and director of Xa:Ytem, an ancient longhouse site and interpretive centre in Mission, B.C. (www.xaytem.ca).

"Of course, the potential is huge. People around the world are looking for a real cultural tourism experience, and that's something we in the past have not tapped into enough," she says.

"Around the world, there's a huge interest in indigenous culture and traditions - it's an international phenomenon. Developing Aboriginal tourism gives us money, but also pride and respect. What we're really lacking now is marketing money ... but we are working with government and other agencies like Aboriginal Business Canada and Western Economic Development on that, and they've been quite supportive."

Meanwhile, Ontario has two key First Nations tourism organizations - the Northern Ontario Native Tourism Association (NONTA) and the Aboriginal Tourism Association of Southern Ontario (ATASO) - to represent native operators.

Bill Rogoza, general manager of NONTA, says the number of tourism companies in Ontario's north has grown from three in 1987 to more than 50 this year.

The Thunder Bay-based association (www.nonta.net) represents companies offering everything from fishing tours and fly-drive programs to Hudson Bay whale-watching and polar bear tours.

"I call it the real thing," says Rogoza. "It's everything from the romantic to the reality. Tourists see life as it is in a community; it's not always a bed of roses. It's like going to South America ... if you went to the Amazon, you would see people in very primitive conditions. We have that, too. When you go out on the land, it's what it used to be. A lot of people are looking for an educational, authentic experience, and that's what they get."

Rogoza says the Ontario government is working with aboriginal communities through the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corp. (OTMPC), which is helping develop aboriginal travel experiences.

"There is an interest by the provincial government in ensuring the aboriginal voice is heard," he says.

(Susan Mate can be reached at sue@businessedge.ca)

Aboriginal Attractions.

* Kanata Native Traditional Village (Ontario): Situated in Brantford, this 20-acre attraction tells the story of 17th'-century Iroquois life in 28 different village sites that allow visitors to play native games such as lacrosse, tour nature trails or take one-hour, half-day and full-day tour programs. Set along the Grand River, Kanata Village also offers a two-day 'immersion program' that includes voyageur canoe rides, interpretive centre tours or an overnight stay in a longhouse. Other nearby aboriginal attractions include the Woodland Cultural Centre and Her Majesty's Chapel of the Mohawks.

Web Watch: www.kanatavillage.net

* Nk'Mip Desert & Heritage Centre (B.C.): Located in Osoyoos, the centre celebrates thousands of years of Okanagan First Nations habitation on desert lands, which are home to many endangered plant and animal species. The centre provides onsite cultural tours, programs and interactive displays. Also part of this project is the Nk'Mip Cellars, which includes an orchard and the Inkameep Vineyard winery. The project is the creation of the Osoyoos Indian Band Development Corp. (which also operates nearly 10 other ventures including a golf course, campground and day-care centre). As well, the band has partnered with Canmore, Alta.-based Bellstar Hotels & Resorts Ltd. to develop Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort & Spa, billed as the region's first full-service resort destination with 30 villas and 64 suites.

Web Watch: www.nkmipdesert.com

* 'Ksan Historical Village and Museum (B.C.): Situated near the town of Hazelton, between Prince Rupert and Prince George, this area is known as the Totem Pole Capital of Canada. The ancient native village on the banks of the Skeena and Bulkley Rivers features seven decorated tribal houses, each adorned with intricately carved totem poles that depict the traditional lifestyle of the Gitxsan First Nations people. The museum features about 600 artifacts such as ceremonial masks, shaman's regalia, ancient hunting utensils and fishing gear. The individually named houses (Fireweed House, Frog House, Wolf House) tell the history; dancers, storytellers, artists and aboriginal guides are on hand to interpret.

Web Watch: www.ksan.org

* Metis Crossing (Alberta): Billed as the premiere centre for Alberta Métis cultural interpretation, education, gatherings, and business development, this 512-acre attraction east of Edmonton is a historic site where Métis, European, and Aboriginal people have gathered for generations. About 2,000 people turned out near Smoky Lake, Alta., last month for the official opening of Phase 1 of the $15-million site, which was launched by a three-day voyageur canoe trip led by nine Metis youth and simultaneous 31-day wagon and horse trek involving about 300 Metis people from Winnipeg and Saskatchewan. The site features a restored barn with interpretive centre and craft store along with walking trails, a campground and RV Park, performance area and playground. The project is the brainchild of the Metis Nation of Alberta and backed by corporate sponsors along with a provincial $1-million centennial legacy grant.

Web Watch: www.metiscrossing.com

* Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park (Alberta): This circular, 62,000-sq.-ft. interpretive centre east of Calgary, built into the escarpment with native prairie vegetation on its roof to reduce the visual impact of the building on the landscape, features teepee-shaped skylights and geometric patterns on the ceilings and floors. The 800-acre centre along the Bow River, site of the signing of Treaty 7 in 1877, will include interactive exhibitions, demonstrations and interpretive programs to tell the story of the Northern Plain Indians. The $18-million centre, slated to be unveiled during a ceremony Sept. 22, is a project of the Siksika Nation and federal government along with $1 million in centennial legacy funding from the provincial government. It is expected to attract 165,000 visitors a year, Siksika sources say.

Web Watch: www.siksikanation.com