Indigenous Guiding Today — State of the Mountains

by Tim Patterson

Tim Patterson is a member of the Lower Nicola Indian Band that belongs to the Scw̓éxmx (“People of the Creeks”), a branch of the Nlaka’pamux (Thompson) Nation of the Interior Salish peoples of British Columbia. Patterson holds a Masters Degree in Environmental Education, is an accredited ACMG Hiking Guide, and is the founder and owner of Zuc’min Guiding, an independent Indigenous adventure tourism company based in Calgary, Alberta.

What comes to mind when you hear the words “Indigenous guiding?” If you are like most, early 1800 images of Indian guides with hulking loads on tumplines moving up mountain passes with David Thompson or Jimmy Simpson probably come to mind. While you would be correct in this assumption about historical Indigenous guiding, Indigenous guiding is very much alive today; I am one of many professional Indigenous guides operating in the mountains of the west. We are few, but we work in several important ways.

*The author passing along his knowledge and skills. Photo: Ryan Wilkes*

First: Indigenous guiding has recently become popular for those seeking authentic, story-based experiences. Indigenous guides assist non-Indigenous people with understanding Indigenous cumulative experiences, dynamic practices, historical understandings, and transponsive narratives of our changing lands. These elements that make up our ways of knowing bridge the knowledge gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. This awareness of our everyday view of the mountains and mountain life provide a richer view of Indigenous perspectives and speak about our daunting environmental crisis.

*Tim Patterson at work on the shoulder of Mount Norquay in Banff National Park. Photo: Ryan Wilkes*

Second: While small compared to our non-Indigenous guiding cadre, the number of Indigenous guides is growing: there are many hiking guides, but only a few are seeking alpine, ski, and mountain guide status. There is also an expanding number of Indigenous guiding companies, like Girth Hitch Guiding out of Nordegg, Alberta, or Zucmin Guiding out of Calgary, Alberta. In the not-for-profit realm, there’s Soul of Miistaki in Canmore, Alberta, or Indigenous Women Outdoors in Lillooet, British Columbia. These professionally-certified Indigenous guides, companies, and not-for-profits are not limited to soft skills of story and culture, but offer the hard skills of climbing, skiing, and backcountry adventures.

Third: Indigenous guiding provides guests and other guides with an understanding of how to work with Indigenous content, history, and knowledge. With greater emphasis on issues related to truth and reconciliation, Indigenous guiding can work skilfully in the mountain environment and assist our colleagues in working better with Indigenous content, history, and knowledge. This is not about hiring Indigenous guides or developing an Indigenous program, but working collaboratively with Indigenous guiding companies. These partnerships are vital in developing both companies and guides by working daily to build both program and guiding capacity.

*Guiding on the ice at the Columbia Icefield. Photo: Roam Creative*

The challenge of Indigenous guiding today is educating both the tourists and the guiding community that we are professional and skilled – because we are. The more significant issue is the development of Indigenous guides. Specifically, the cost of both time and money in acquiring the necessary dirt time (time-in-the-field), equipment, and certifications is unattainable for many Indigenous people. The issue of guiding as a viable job option is not top of mind for most Indigenous people. It is still considered a short-term stop gap between “real” jobs. And so, we have a long way to go in recruiting Indigenous peoples into guiding. The most outstanding issues for guiding companies remain the capacity to work with Indigenous guides and the complexity of Indigenous content.

There are many resources, like the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, Indigenous Tourism Alberta, and the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, ready to assist guides and guiding companies in navigating our collective decolonizing efforts.