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Sanjay K. Nepal, University
of Northern British Columbia
"First Nations and Ecotourism: Opportunities and Constraints in
the Tl’azt’en Territories, Northern British Columbia"
This paper explores the potential for building indigenous capacities
in ecotourism planning and development in forest-dependent communities.
The Tl’azt’en Nations in the Omineca Peace Region of northern
British Columbia represent communities in need of economic revitalization,
as timber extraction, which is the primary natural resource in the region
is experiencing significant decline in its monetary value, income and
employment. This paper is based on fieldwork conducted in 2001, which
involved various workshops, informal and formal interviews with the
Tl’azt’enne, semi-structured interviews with selected guide
and outfitters, and an exploratory analysis of key recreation/tourism
sites. The results indicate that the Tl’azt’en territory holds
significant ecotourism potential. The Tl’azt’enne have a strong
desire to be involved in ecotourism but are not fully aware of the challenges
and opportunties that come with its development. There is a general
lack of commitment to a shared responsibility in the planning and management
of ecotourism. It is suggested that the Tl’azt’enne should
capitalize on their knowledge of the resources; put in place certain
restrictive measures to prevent the harmful effects of ecotourism, build
a network with other aboriginal as well as non-aboriginal organizations
and individuals, particularly tourism service providers; persuade the
government to provide financial and technical support for planned projects;
and explore possibilities to educate and train the younger people in
tourism education and small enterprise development. Ecotourism development
in the Territory would result in sustainable land use practices, improved
social and economic conditions and a lesser dependency on the forest
sector.
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