A Gathering Around the Table – Discovering Indigenous Tourism

A Seat at the Table – Exploring Indigenous Tourism

The invitation of this podcast is simple: come take a seat at the table of Indigenous peoples. Not as spectators, but as respectful guests, sharing a genuine human encounter.

Today, we wish to create a symbolic table where Indigenous and non-Indigenous people meet, speak, and discover one another. Because that’s how great moments have always begun — around a table.

In this first episode, we meet Marie-Pierre Lainé of the Wendat Nation, Development and Partnerships Manager at TAQ, along with her sister Laurence Lainé, also from the Wendat Nation and Marketing Advisor at TAQ. They share the mic with Camille Castonguay, Director of Consulting Services and Operations at Oasis Communication, who joins the discussion as a non-Indigenous participant in a spirit of curiosity and learning.

🎧 Listen to the very first episode of our podcast A Seat at the Table on Spotify / tourismeautochtone.

By sitting together and taking the time, we move beyond clichés, deepen our understanding of one another, and build the true spirit of “living together” — or Mamowinitotan in the Atikamekw language. Have you seen the 3-episode web series launched by TAQ? On TAQ’s website, you’ll find three beautiful episodes where well-known Quebec personalities meet to share a moment, to create, to dance, and even to cook together.

Watch the episodes of the web series Mamowinitotan – Living Together.

Visiting a Pow Wow: A Vibrant and Unifying Experience

Attending a Pow Wow means diving into a vibrant moment of pride and unity. These gatherings are the expression of a living culture, carried by dance, music, craftsmanship, and sharing.

More than an event, it’s an authentic encounter with Indigenous identity, grounded in respect and curiosity.

Local Tourism and the Spirit of Mamowinitotan

Through Mamowinitotan — which means “Let’s go together” in Atikamekw — tourism becomes a collective gesture.

Visiting locally means supporting communities, their initiatives, and their creativity. It’s choosing to travel differently, focusing on proximity, solidarity, and the discovery of the cultures that inhabit our lands.

Well-being and Reconnection with the Land

Well-being in Indigenous tourism is rooted in a deep connection with nature and the land.

Each experience invites you to slow down, breathe, and listen.

Told by those who live on the land, these experiences encourage reconnection with oneself and with the environment, following the rhythm of the seasons and traditions.

Pride and Cultural Transmission

The pride of being Indigenous can be felt in every craft, every story, every gesture passed down.

Tourism becomes a tool for cultural transmission and affirmation, allowing future generations to continue sharing their knowledge and roots with confidence.

Indigenous Tourism: A Source of Meaning and Connection

Indigenous tourism invites you to discover Quebec differently — through the voices and perspectives of the peoples who have cared for it since time immemorial.

It’s an approach rooted in respect, sharing, and sustainability, where every visit becomes a meeting, and every meeting an opening.

A Gathering Around the Table is, above all, an invitation to sit down, to listen, and to walk together. Because by sharing our stories, we weave connections — and that’s where true encounters are born.