INDIGENOUS INSPIRATION

15 MEDICINE WALKS

Mahikan Trails is a Cree Iroquois company sharing culture through innovative tripping in the great outdoors. Owner Brenda Holder, a Knowledge Keeper of traditional medicine, offers Winter Medicine and Snowshoe Walks, highlighting trees and bushes that were once crucial to winter survival — for food, as a fire starter or as a medicine. The company’s guided treks through Grotto Canyon — also filled with cultural and traditional knowledge — are another popular choice. Near Canmore, Alta.

16 MÉTIS MEETUP

Métis Crossing is the first major Métis cultural interpretive centre in Alberta, open year-round and hosting events that range from traditional craft workshops to harvest dinners. Guides celebrate the region’s Métis history through tours of their museum and historical village, as well as dedicated talks. Events are ever-changing, but many encourage visitors to participate as they learn. For example, a winter program might explore Métis traditional winter activities and skills — think snowshoeing, setting a snare and building a survival shelter — by having visitors learn about the skills then try their hand at them. Smoky Lake, Alta.

17 ICE CAVES

It’s a photo op! Narwhal Northern Adventures heads out on a guided walk to explore scenic ice caves on Great Slave Lake, the massive columns of ice looking for all the world like sparkling curtains, opening here and there to reveal the darkness of the caves. Other adventures include guided snowmobile tours on Great Slave Lake and surrounding trails and learn-to-build-an-igloo workshops. Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

14 ICE TIME

Opened this past summer, the Klahoose Wilderness Resort, owned by the Klahoose First Nation, is a gorgeous base from which to embark on all manner of Indigenous cultural experiences alongside the outdoor adventures. The big draw this winter is bound to be a helicopter tour over the Coast Mountains with a stop for a glacier walk. Homfray Channel (just north of the Sunshine Coast), B.C.

18 LIGHTING THE WAY

Open for more than two decades, Aurora Village has a large team of guides and a long list of cool winter ideas. Though known for their aurora-watching trips — their secluded teepee village makes a truly magical complement to the night skies — they also run dog sledding, ice fishing and snowshoeing adventures. Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

19 SEA AND SKIES

The northern lights in full glory are a definite bucket list item. B Dene Adventures, which has a camp with a heated cabin located on the shore of Great Slave Lake, makes the adventure even more unforgettable with a package that includes northern lights storytelling, Dene history and legends, drumming and samples of traditional foods. During daylight hours, guides invite visitors to learn about the Dene people of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, their history and the significance of their land and cultural traditions. A typical day trip includes fishing (below) and traditional Dene games. Dettah (across the bay from Yellowknife), Northwest Territories