'It's like dancing among the stars': the story of Quebec's newest multimedia attraction

ANCESTRAL SPIRITS

There it is, that song again. This time, it’s a male voice that sounds far away. As I pass through a part of the forest that honours the ancestors, one of them is talking directly to us. “That’s an original, 140-year-old wax cylinder recording,” adds Ste-Marie. I’m eyes wide as figures appear out of the darkness, disappear into vibrant foliage and then re-emerge as sparks dancing across the night. The recording is a crucial cultural connection. 

In its first year, Onhwa’ Lumina has welcomed 88,000 visitors. That’s 88,000 people now versed in Wendat culture and, for many, their first experience of Indigenous culture in Canada. 

“When we started this idea, we had a clear objective; make this a two-night destination. Then we got a bit carried away,” adds Ste-Marie, visibly proud of what has been achieved. It’s the latest in a Wendat tourism offer that includes a hotel, museum and acclaimed restaurants. “We know we have to make people slow down. You have to take some time to take in a new culture.” 

FLOURISHING PHENOMENON

Indigenous-owned tourism is expanding fast across Canada, with a raft of new tours, hotels and experiences owned and run by Indigenous communities coming online since the easing of pandemic restrictions.

Speaking at Rendez-vous Canada tourism marketplace in Quebec City in June, Keith Henry, president and chief executive of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), which represents more than 150 businesses, said: “There’s a growing awareness that visitors want to know more. The way we shape the next three to five years can really open up an opportunity if we do it right.”

But tourism isn’t new to the Huron-Wendat Nation. Bordering Quebec City, it’s one of the oldest Indigenous territories in North America and also one of the only Indigenous communities located in an urban environment. Today it’s home to around 1,500 people. Alongside artisanship, including moccasin production and a long-running contract to supply snowshoes to the Canadian Army, tourism is a major industry. 

Located in the heart of Wendake, the 100% First Nations-owned Hotel-Musee Premieres Nations has 78 rooms and suites, including 24 new luxury rooms completed as part of a multimillion-pound revamp. My room in the new wing is a chic blend of mid-century style in moss, brass and earth tones, decorated with First Nations artwork and Indigenous-inspired textiles. 

The adjoining Huron-Wendat Museum – which can be explored alone or guided – details the nation’s culture, craftsmanship, legacy and future, with exhibitions and artifacts from modern art to wampum belts of purple and white beads, once used to record agreements between tribal leaders. 

And with a Michelin-starred chef, Marc de Passorio, at the helm of on-site La Traite showcasing Indigenous produce, the hotel is intended as a world leader in modern First Nations’ experiential hospitality.

We head out to the traditional longhouse. Constructed of wood and bark, raised bunks laden with furs surround glowing campfires. There’s a package that allows you to stay overnight in it, but as part of a Myths and Legends experience we’re gathered around for stories passed down through the generations. And I’m thinking of that song. 

“Our language nowadays is in the process of being rehabilitated,” says Ste-Marie, as if reading my mind. “We’re rebuilding our own language. It may take multiple decades before it is truly reborn, we’re still working on it. But there is hope.” 

Book it: Canadian Affair offers an eight-night package to Quebec starting from £1,326pp based on two adults sharing and a departure date of 6 May 2024. This includes two nights in Montreal, three nights in Hotel-Musee Premieres Nations, Quebec City, admission to the Huron-Wendat Museum, rail service from Montreal to Quebec City and Air Transat flights; canadianaffair.com;

For more information, see bonjourquebec.com/en-gb; and Onhwa’ Lumina.