The Forks Essay
Introduction In this essay, I will explore my experience in cultural and settler tourism through a visit to The Forks. First, I reflect on my prior assumptions of the impact of settler tourism along with the cultural history of The Forks. I then analyze how my visit to The Forks challenged and expanded my understanding of the role of cultural tourism in settler tourism, highlighting the importance of Indigenous culture. Ultimately, I review how my experiences have led me to a new position on settler and cultural tourism, one that emphasizes the need for respectful and sustainable practices.
Past Position on Settler Tourism and Cultural Tourism
Prior to my visit to The Forks, my understanding of its history, culture and settler tourism was
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I explore whether my actions as a tourist contributed to responsible and sustainable settler tourism. I place emphasis on cultural tourism by recognizing its role in settler tourism. Specifically, I aim at highlighting the importance of engaging in cultural education, understanding cultural significance and supporting Indigenous businesses whilst being mindful of their impact.
At The Forks, I learnt about European and Indigenous heritage by reading the information boards. In doing so, I participated in cultural tourism, which Nickerson describes as travel to sites that feature cultural aspects like art and traditions (Nickerson, 2014, p. 185). Cultural tourism is vital to responsible settler tourism. The World Indigenous Tourism Alliance notes that the protection and dissemination of their culture are key principles in Indigenous cultural tourism (Anderson et al., 2020). Therefore, by reading the information on these boards, I participated in settler tourism sustainably because I educated myself on Indigenous culture. With that being said, I also failed to educate myself prior to visiting the site. Southwest Ontario Tourism Corporation (2023) states that “If you are invited to participate in any traditional events by Indigenous Peoples,
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250). However, a lack of labels in the artworks at The Forks impeded the degree to which I was able to learn about indigenous culture. Labels can provide contextual information like the artists’ name, the background, the date of creation and insight into the cultural significance of the piece (Forbes, 1940). Additionally, labels assure that the artist is accredited (Forbes, 1940). This is especially important for Indigenous artists, who have historically been underrepresented (Southwest Ontario Tourism Corporation, 2023). Overall, the absence of labels hindered my ability to engage in cultural tourism as I lacked an understanding of the art’s cultural
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