First Nation, Inuit and Métis people in Canada have unique cultures, languages and identities. There are over 630 First Nations communities in Canada, which represent more than 50 Nations and 50 Indigenous languages.
Listening and learning from Indigenous peoples is an integral part of working toward reconciliation. One way to do this is by participating in Indigenous culinary experiences, where you can learn about the history and meaning of traditional food from members of the community you’re visiting. Read on and start planning your next unforgettable culinary adventure:
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New Brunswick: Wabanaki Maple
379 Route 390, Tobique First Nation, NB
Visit websiteWabanaki Maple is a 100% Indigenous & female-owned business located on Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation) in New Brunswick. Their team creates maple products that reflect the long, intertwined history of Indigenous Peoples and the maple tree. Share in this tradition with a bottle of traditional grade-A maple syrup, or indulge in the contemporary flavours of Wabanaki’s signature bourbon, whisky, or rum barrel-aged syrups.
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One of the many offerings at Wabanaki Maple. -
Quebec: Restaurant La Traite à l'Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations
5 Place de la Rencontre, Wendake, QC
Visit websiteNestled on the banks of Akiawenrahk River in the Huron-Wendat reserve of Wendake, Restaurant La Traite in the Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations offers an immersive experience in an exceptional setting. Guests can enjoy fine Northern Quebec gourmet cuisine, including game meats, sauces made with native berries and herbs from the boreal forest. After dinner, the boutique First Nations hotel offers 55 rooms & suites inspired by First Nations culture.
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Delicious traditional foods at Restaurant La Traite. -
Newfoundland: Saltbox Restaurant
410 Main Rd, Benoit's Cove, NL
Visit websiteSaltbox Restaurant is ideally located on the shores of the community of Benoit’s Cove, nestled at the base of the majestic Blow Me Down Mountains. Saltbox specializes in fresh, local, Newfoundland seafood, including mussels, scallops, shrimp, and the best fish and chips around. Treat yourself to one of their piled-high banana splits for the perfect end to a delicious meal.
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The mussels at Saltbox Restaurant. -
Ontario: Walk Among The Trees
780 Landslide Rd, Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Visit websiteWalk Among The Trees is a 100% Anishinaabe-owned and operated company specializing in simple, 3 hour walking tours. Through an Anishinaabe cultural lens, participants will learn about the natural and cultural history, experience ceremony, storytelling, teachings and cuisine for creating important long-lasting memories. Guests walk together in the spirit of reconciliation and gain a deeper appreciation for the land and culture.
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Bannock bites make a great snack during your Walk Among The Trees tour. -
Manitoba: Feast Cafe Bistro
587 Ellice Ave, Winnipeg, MB
Visit websiteFeast Cafe serves modern dishes rooted in First Nation foods. Owner & Executive Chef Christa is a proud member of Peguis First Nation, which is the largest First Nation community in Manitoba. Feast aims to harvest, cook, and eat with good intention, and their menu includes traditional foods such as bannock, bison ribs with wild blueberries, butternut squash bannock pizza, and a wild rice salad with cranberries, sunflower seeds and Saskatoon berry vinaigrette.
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Saskatchewan: Wanuskewin Han Wi Moon Dinner
RR #4 Penner Road, Saskatoon, SK
Visit websiteWanuskewin Heritage Park is a National Historic Site located just outside of Saskatoon. In the height of summer, they host their Han Wi Moon Dinner series – a celebration of the Northern Plains people, landscape, ingredients, and culture. The evening begins with a guided walking tour of the park to learn about the culture, history, and science of the land. Guests can experience a main course in the tipi village, and dessert with panoramic views of the South Saskatchewan river and opimihāw Valley. The 2024 menu includes fry bannock with chokecherry drizzle, bison tenderloin seasoned with yarrow and sage, and a Turtle Island cookie by the fire.
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Alberta: Painted Warriors Ranch
31341 RR 5.1, Mountain View County, AB
Visit websitePainted Warriors is an Indigenous tourism company that invites guests to experience their Ojibway, Metis and Cree cultures through land-based traditional knowledge and activities. Join the chef in collecting wild plants and roots used for food and medications, learn hunting techniques and fire-lighting skills, and take part in preparing a traditional evening meal.
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British Columbia: The Bear, the Fish, the Root and the Berry
1200 Rancher Creek Road Spirit Ridge Resort Osoyoos, BC
Visit websiteThe Bear, the Fish, the Root and the Berry at Spirit Ridge Resort serves modern vineyard cuisine inspired by their Indigenous roots. Spirit Ridge proudly sits on the traditional land of the Syilx people of the Okanagan Nation, and the inspiration for the restaurant name comes from a traditional story passed down through generations about the Four Food Chiefs: Skamxist (Black Bear), Ntytykxw (Chinook Salmon), Speetlum (Bitterroot) and Seeya (Saskatoon Berry), which represent the key elements of Indigenous cuisine. On the menu, you’ll find dishes inspired by traditional ingredients and cooking techniques, like bannock, a three sisters empanada, elk osso buco, and lots of local BC seafood.
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Wild spring salmon at The Bear, the Fish, the Root and the Berry. -
Northwest Territories: Frontier Lodge - Gateway to the Thaidene Nëné
Lutselk'e, Northwest Territories
Visit websiteFrontier Lodge, under the ownership of Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation, offers the ultimate fly-in fishing experience complete with 60+ years of irreplaceable Northern Canadian character. This is an unforgettable way to experience Great Slave Lake, one of North America’s most productive bodies of water, which is replete with lake trout, arctic grayling, whitefish, and northern pike. Packages cover all meals, including shore lunch and Northern-inspired cocktails at the end of a day spent in nature.
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Yukon: Shakat Tun Adventures
Haines Junction, Yukon
Visit websiteShakat Tun Adventures is located on the traditional territory of the Champagne & Ashihik First Nations, on the edge of Kluane National Park in the Yukon. Wilderness camp guests can immerse themselves in the hospitality of Canada’s Indigenous people, try traditional activities such as beading and drum-making, and taste traditional foods gathered on the land that has sustained its people for generations, such as dried meat or fish.
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Conversations and traditional foods are on offer at Shakat Tun Adventures.
Header image: Restaurant La Traite, Quebec