Experience Alberta Through an Indigenous Lens
By Indigenous Tourism Alberta
There are many ways to travel through Alberta, but few offer the depth of understanding that comes from seeing the land through Indigenous perspectives.
Beyond its well-known landscapes lies a network of experiences led by First Nations and Métis operators, each offering a different way to connect with place. Through storytelling, guided exploration, food, and art, visitors are invited to engage with Alberta in a way that is rooted in history, culture, and lived experience.
What emerges is not a single narrative, but many. Each journey reflects the diversity of the Nations who call this province home, shaped by language, tradition, and relationship to the land.
For travellers seeking something more than scenery, Indigenous tourism offers an opportunity to move through Alberta with greater awareness, curiosity, and connection.
Here are a few Indigenous-themed journeys you can discover.
Métis Crossing - Smoky Lake
Set along the banks of the North Saskatchewan River, Métis Crossing is a living celebration of Métis culture and history. Located on traditional river lots, the site brings to life the stories of fur traders, buffalo hunters, and the families who helped shape the Prairies.
Visitors can take part in a range of immersive, year-round experiences, from guided cultural walks to traditional art and fiddle music, each offering insight into Métis identity, knowledge, and pride.
For those looking to stay longer, Métis Crossing offers several unique accommodation options, including a 40-room boutique lodge, sky-watching domes, a campground, and trapper’s tents. Evenings here are just as memorable, whether spent under the stars or gathered around a fire listening to stories of the land and the buffalo.
A standout experience is the Visions, Hopes and Dreams Wildlife Tour, where a Métis interpreter guides visitors through the wildlife park. Along the way, you’ll encounter heritage species such as plains and wood bison, elk, Percheron horses, and the rare white bison, all set against the sweeping natural beauty of the region.
Talking Rock Tours — Edmonton
Explore the Edmonton River Valley from a new perspective with Talking Rock Tours, Alberta’s first geo-educational hiking and sightseeing company.
Led by Métis owner and guide Keith Diakiw, these tours blend geology and Indigenous knowledge, offering a deeper understanding of how the land has been shaped over time, and how people have lived in relationship with it. Keith’s passion for both science and culture brings a unique dimension to each experience, making the landscape feel layered with meaning rather than simply scenic.
While many tours take place within Edmonton’s expansive river valley, Talking Rock Tours also offers experiences in Elk Island National Park and surrounding regions, including areas that explore the province’s oil and gas history.
Whether you’re walking through the valley or venturing further afield, these guided experiences offer a thoughtful and engaging way to better understand the land beneath your feet.
The Woods Experience — Wildwood
Tucked within Alberta’s boreal forest, about 90 minutes west of Edmonton, The Woods Experience is a Métis family-owned destination that offers a blend of comfort, culture, and connection to the land. The property features cabin and tipi stays, the Wilderness Spa, and the Native Wild Trading Post and classroom space.
Accommodations are off-grid yet thoughtfully designed, with comfortable beds, quality linens, heat, and essential amenities. Traditional tipis offer a more immersive stay, complete with fire for warmth and cooking, culinary samples, and fur-crafted décor that reflects the surrounding environment.
The Wilderness Spa provides a quiet space to unwind, featuring a wood-fired hot tub, sauna, cold plunge, and fire lounge area. Private sessions allow guests to fully relax while taking in panoramic views of the forest, creating a sense of calm and grounding.
The Woods Experience also offers a range of courses, workshops, and land-based teachings. Many are led by Elders and skilled instructors, sharing knowledge through hands-on experiences that encourage learning, reflection, and personal growth.
Pine Creek Retreat — Smoky Lake
Set along the northern banks of the North Saskatchewan River, Pine Creek Retreat offers a quiet, immersive escape shaped by the land around it. A forested trail winds through river coulees before opening onto sweeping views of the glacier-fed river, where birdsong and wind move through the valley in a steady rhythm. It’s the kind of place that invites pause and reflection.
The experience here is designed to balance comfort with connection to nature. Custom A-frame cabins, complete with heat and modern amenities, provide a restful place to recharge, while trails extend directly from your doorstep into the surrounding landscape.
For those looking to explore further, the retreat offers all-terrain electric scooters, making the river valley accessible to a wide range of visitors. It’s an opportunity to move through a landscape shaped by generations of Indigenous and settler history, taking in the views at your own pace and experiencing the land in a way that feels both accessible and deeply engaging.
Painted Warriors — Sundre
Set on 82 acres of forest just northwest of Calgary, Painted Warriors Ranch offers more than outdoor adventure; it’s a place to reconnect with the land through Cree teachings and lived experience.
Run by Tracey Klettl, who carries deep knowledge of the land, the ranch blends physical activity with cultural understanding. Experiences often go beyond the surface, weaving in lessons about traditional ways of life, survival, respect for nature, and the values that have been passed down through generations. Whether you’re trying your hand at archery, riding through forest trails on horseback, or learning outdoor skills, each activity is grounded in purpose.
What sets Painted Warriors apart is the intention behind the experience. Guests are encouraged to slow down, listen, and engage, not just with the land, but with themselves. Evenings gathered around the fire become a space for storytelling, reflection, and connection, where teachings shared are as relevant today as they have always been.
Accommodations reflect that same balance of comfort and immersion. Heated wood cabins offer a warm and welcoming place to rest, while still keeping you close to the rhythms of the forest. It’s the kind of stay that leaves you feeling not just rested, but changed in a small, meaningful way.
Warrior Women — Jasper
Set against the dramatic backdrop of Jasper National Park, Warrior Women offers an experience that is both powerful and deeply personal. Led by Cree knowledge keeper and guide Matricia Bauer, these experiences invite visitors to connect with the land through story, movement, and spirit.
Experiences often include guided walks, storytelling, and traditional practices, each rooted in Cree teachings and delivered with honesty, humour, and intention. Matricia’s presence is central to the experience, creating a space that feels both welcoming and transformative.
Bernadette’s — Edmonton
Taste tradition, innovation and the spirit of the land through Indigenous-owned Bernadette’s. The menu is both a tribute to the land and a reimagining of traditional ingredients through a modern lens. Led by Chef Scott Iserhoff (Omushkegowuk Cree), the restaurant offers refined dishes that honour family recipes and Northern culinary traditions. Their cocktail list is equally rooted in culture—featuring flavours like sweetgrass, wild berries, and cedar.
Little Chief Restaurant — Calgary
Features locally sourced ingredients and a strong commitment to seasonal offerings, the menu is a journey through Alberta’s natural bounty. Guests can enjoy elk striploin or smoked trout while learning about the stories and communities behind each dish. For food that tells a fully immersive story, Chef Brandon Dashnay has introduced a special by-reservation-only chef’s tasting experience. Groups as small as two or as large as 20 can book a multi-course feast that sees the chef pushing his creativity with special items that take on more complex flavours, techniques and artistic presentations
Carter-Ryan Gallery — Canmore and Banff
The Carter-Ryan Gallery and Live Art Venue celebrates the works of Jason Carter, an acclaimed painter and soapstone sculptor from Little Red River Cree Nation. He uses bright colours and striking contrasts to create magnificent contemporary paintings of wildlife and nature. He also makes incredible sculptures. During the day, Jason Carter can often be found doing carving demonstrations or offering carving workshops for small groups. In the evening, the gallery often becomes an entertainment venue when Bridget Ryan’s passion for musical theatre infuses the gallery with live entertainment.
Mahikan Trails — Banff and Sundree
In the forests surrounding Jasper, Mahikan Trails offers a quieter, more introspective way to experience the land through guided medicine walks.
Learn how to respectfully gather and honour the land while harvesting and listen to the stories of the plants from owner Brenda Holder.
The medicine walk is rooted in traditional knowledge, focusing on the plants that grow along the trail and their roles as medicines, teachers, and sources of sustenance. As you move through the forest, you learn to identify species, understand their uses, and hear the stories that connect them to culture and community. What begins as a simple walk gradually becomes a deeper lesson in relationship, how to observe, respect, and interact with the natural world.
Moonstone Creation — Calgary
Located in the historic neighbourhood of Inglewood, Moonstone Creation represents countless artists around Turtle Island. You can find beadwork, paintings, leatherwork, jewellery, sculptures, apparel, ceremonial drums and more.
They also offer a hands-on way to connect with Indigenous culture through art and craftsmanship workshops. This includes traditional beading, porcupine quillwork and moccasin making. These workshops centre around traditional Indigenous art forms, with each session guided by teachings that speak to the cultural significance behind the work. Rather than simply producing a finished piece, participants gain an understanding of the stories, symbolism, and care that go into each design.
Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park — Siksika
Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park looks to the past and into the future. It’s the site where Treaty 7 was signed in 1877. As such, it’s a National Historic Site. But Blackfoot Crossing also has a greater purpose. It is dedicated to promoting and preserving the Siksika Nation’s language, culture and traditions.
The park, about 117 km (73 mi) southeast of Calgary, features a stunning eco-friendly museum with interactive exhibits that explain how Siksika (Blackfoot) culture developed and how it is thriving. The cafeteria serves traditional Indigenous foods, while the gift shop features the work of local artisans.
Dance and craft demonstrations occur frequently, and museum tours guided by Siksika interpreters can be booked in advance. Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the numerous historic sites around the property. Tipi camping is available for those who want an in-depth Blackfoot cultural experience.
