Tourism for Good: Alberta Land Based Education

In honour of World Tourism Day on September 27th, we’ll be sharing some good news stories from Cochrane Tourism Operators who have unique solutions to use tourism to impact positive change.

Alberta Land-Based Education: Connecting people and nature through Indigenous teachings 

In our hyper-connected world, many people are feeling a strong need to nurture a more harmonious relationship with nature. Whether you’re an Indigenous person who wants to reconnect with your ancestral heritage or a non-Indigenous person who wants to learn new land-based skills, Alberta Land Based Education might be just what you’re looking for. 

A beautiful balance 

The organization, which focuses on Indigenous teachings,  grew out of Inuvialuit Gwichya Gwich’in business student Kelly Gordon’s (originally from Inuvik, NWT) desire to better understand her roots. “My spirit was yearning to incorporate the old ways into my learning,” she says. 

Kelly, connected with an Indigenous family living traditionally in the mountain hamlet of Bragg Creek, Alberta and immersed herself back into the old way of life. “It is a totally different worldview,” she says. “A beautiful balance.” 

That’s how she met Tsuut’ina Elder Larry Mistaken Chief. They met every day, with Elder Larry sharing his hunting and tanning knowledge, and Kelly lightening the workload. The arrangement worked so well they decided to build something bigger—and Alberta Land Based Education was born. 

Learning from the land 

Kelly and her daughter, Brooklyn Gordon, co-facilitate the workshops.  “I am grateful for learning the land based teachings from elder Larry, the knowledge has been getting passed down to my daughter and it has been really cool to see your daughter go from learner to teacher and give back to our community” 

The organization provides traditional Indigenous teachings on skills like brain hide tanning,  butchering, and making dried meat through one-day and multi-day workshops. The students get an on the land learning experience with hands-on teachings directly from an Elder. 

Open to all 

Everyone is welcome to attend Alberta Land-Based Education workshops, regardless of their ancestry. 

“The teachings pull everybody in,” says Kelly. “By the end, everyone’s working together, connecting, talking, and intertwining knowledge. It’s a really beautiful thing.” 

Ready to begin your own land-based education? Contact Alberta Land-Based Education at [email protected] for information on upcoming Alberta Land-Based Education workshops. With plenty of outdoor activities on offer, Cochrane is the perfect place to unplug. But before you do, plan your itinerary by downloading the Explore Cochrane app.