Mount Saint Vincent University celebrates launch of Indigenous tourism program

Years of relationship building, Mi'kmaw knowledge gathering and course development has culminated in the launch of the Kinu Tourism Project at Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) in Halifax.

MSVU welcomed its first cohort of nine Indigenous students to the program in September and celebrated the official launch of the project on Friday, which includes the broader integration of Mi'kmaw and Indigenous knowledge into the MSVU Tourism and Hospitality Management program. 

Gabriel Robitaille, who is Mi'kmaw from Paqtnkek First Nation in Nova Scotia and a student in the program, said he's inspired by the Indigenous leaders in the tourism industry that the program has given him access to — and their dedication to the industry.

"It's what they really believe in and what they want and it's their purpose," he said.

"It's empowering for me to have these mentors and role models to move forward."

He was attending university before entering the cohort but said this program stands out in the way students are supported. 

"It's jarring a little bit to go from an environment where I had a lack of resources — not no resources, but lack of resources — to a place where it's just abundant," he said.

The program both in-person and remote learning, with one-year certificate, two-year diploma and four-year degree programs, and students are given the opportunity to take paid work placements that count toward their course hours.

Community relationships

Bradley Paul, who is Mi'kmaw from Paqtnkek and project co-ordinator for Kinu, said building the course material was only possible due to the development of an Indigenous Advisory Committee made up of tourism professionals, educators, knowledge keepers and elders from throughout Mi'kmaki (Mi'kmaw territory).

He said the Kinu Tourism Project team spent time building relationships with communities in an effort to learn how the project's programming can best support tourism needs in the area.

"To be a part of this project and to see the change that is happening and the cultural shift within a post-secondary institution is pretty amazing, and I'm grateful to be a part of it," said Paul.

"I want to share my gratitude for the faculty and staff of MSVU and their president. They've been 100 per cent on board with everything that we've done."

Kinu means "Us together" and program leads say it signifies including Indigenous voices in the industry and university classrooms to ensure future tourism professionals are equipped with culturally relevant teachings they can use when operating in Indigenous territories.

The curriculum developed led to the creation of a mandatory course for all tourism students at MSVU, Introduction to Mi'kmaw and Indigenous Tourism.

Jennifer Guy, an assistant professor in the tourism and hospitality management program at MSVU and co-lead of the Kinu Tourism Project, said the Kinu Tourism Project is a community-led response to the growth of the Indigenous tourism industry and a demand for Indigenous tourism education.

"We have 300 hours of course content, original course content, which we've edited and integrated into our entire program," she said.

"Ultimately though, it's about the students. We're very proud to have [this] group of student in our program this term and more joining in the winter."