Waaseyaa Cultural Tours

Please visit the Waaseyaa Cultural Tours website, here:

This program shares an understanding of the living history of the Madaoueskarini Algonquin People, intertwined with a general scope of Indigenous history across what is now known as Canada. This experience offers an understanding of the impacts of colonial settlement on unceded Algonquin territory and the continued impacts on land and people. This is a two-hour land-based program offered in various locations across unceded Algonquin territory.
● Adult - $125.00 per person + HST
● Senior & Youth (24 and under) - $65.00 per person + HST
● Children under 6 – $45.00 per person + HST
● Minimum 4 people, any age
● Discounted rates apply for Indigenous and diverse peoples (Nation, Non-Status, and/or community affiliation required) and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

GROUP RATE
● Available upon request

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
● Programs may also be offered in German (special rates apply)
● Each program may also lend itself to days in which inclement weather predominates
● Programs may be customized, though additional charges will apply to honour work related to content research and development
● Rates do not include costs associated with parking or permits

Our climate is quickly changing, and conversations surrounding the health of the natural world are more crucial than ever. This hands-on experience will encourage participants to develop a deeper respect for and understanding of the plants found in Algonquin territory that have been used to encourage health and well-being by Algonquin people for thousands of years. This workshop will also explore the concepts of Indigenous food systems and Indigenous food sovereignty. This is a two-hour land-based program offered in various locations across unceded Algonquin territory.

Walk along the Madaoueskasibi, now also known as the Madawaska River, to learn more about Algonquin birch bark canoes, the significance of the birch tree, canoe craft, and the role of the canoe across the living history of Algonquin people. This two-hour land-based program follows the abandoned Canadian National Rail line from the hamlet of Whitney.

The beaver, known as amik in Anishinaabemowin, occupies key niches in the ecology, economy, history, and culture of unceded Algonquin lands and waters, a land now also known as Eastern Ontario. This two-hour land-based program examines the impact of this fascinating aquatic mammal in the past and present. This tour includes visits to current and past beaver habitats, an introduction to the beaver’s significance in Indigenous and settler cultures, and a discussion of the beaver’s role in our ecological environment. This program may also speak to comparative North American and European perspectives, if requested.

Europeans and other settlers consciously and unconsciously impose their own rules, understandings, and meanings on Indigenous lands and beings, including European designations of geographical features, birds, mammals, plants, and other creatures and phenomena. For example, the affectionate name “Whiskey Jack” for the Canada Jay is derived from Wiisakedjaak, the Algonquin name for a prominent trickster figure in our ancestral stories, which honours the playful nature of these birds.
But how do these names, practices, and assumptions affect the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups and individuals? How can an honest exchange of understandings contribute to a more respectful, informed, and positively shared present and future? This two-hour land-based program is facilitated through a discussion between a Madaoueskarini Algonquin woman and a cultural historian with European roots. Participants are encouraged to ask questions and actively participate in the discussion.