The Cree Outfitting and Tourism Association (COTA) celebrated its 25th anniversary in Eastmain October 20-22 with three days of sharing memories, developing new initiatives and creating connections. The theme of this year’s annual general meeting and tourism conference was “Future Focused; Culture Driven”.
Executive director Robin McGinley, who has led the organization since its incorporation in 2000, was honoured for dedicating her career “to supporting the development of a sustainable, vibrant tourism industry that is in harmony with our culture and values.”
The event featured a video about COTA’s history with moving clips of people involved over the years. Eastmain provided a warm welcome, McGinley said, with its “stunning hotel, the Eneyaauhkaat Lodge built in 2015, a foundation for the community’s future tourism offerings.”
COTA’s gathering was opened by Eastmain Chief Raymond Shanoush and its vice-president Priscilla Bosum. Following the presentation of reports, provincial tourism bodies shared best practices and funding opportunities. Jill Ann Lance from land-use consultancy firm BC2 shared the first phase of a strategy to enhance the visitor experience on the Billy Diamond Highway.
“We’re proposing at the turnoffs to have a bus stop, somewhere warm to wait for your ride,” explained McGinley. “There are proposals for some of the campgrounds and rest areas, making services that are more comfortable and informative for people who are travelling, highlighting the biodiversity.”
Interpretive signs may showcase the region’s carnivorous plants or the peat bogs in Eeyou Istchee’s southern lowlands that stretch to the west side of James Bay, one of the world’s largest carbon stores.
The first day concluded with the annual “green team” community cleanup, a fun activity to build connections, promote Cree values and give back to their hosts. COTA is working with Cree communities to develop sustainable tourism action plans and recently published an eco-conscious guide for “picking presents with purpose” on its website.
“It’s trying to encourage people to start thinking about making better choices because Crees buy a lot of promo items,” said McGinley. “Sometimes you see all the stuff they’re giving away and you know it’s just going to end up in a landfill.”
Last year, COTA became the continent’s first Indigenous destination marketer to earn GreenStep’s Silver Sustainable Tourism Certification. For the tourism conference’s thoughtful promo, Mary Shecapio from Mistissini handmade beautiful 25th anniversary gift bags.
An update on the planned Wiinipaakw National Marine Conservation Area was provided by Christopher Beck, the Cree Nation Government’s coordinator of marine conservation. Cree coastal communities are excited about the initiative’s potential to develop tourism opportunities, including mentorship and training for key positions by Parks Canada.
The conference featured a two-day workshop led by tourism innovation hub MT Lab. It encouraged participants to develop tourism project ideas and identify practical next steps. Three hands-on workshops guided participants from “intuition and discovery” to “offer creation and deployment planning”.
“There were four projects that went all the way to the third workshop,” said McGinley. “We’re planning a trip some time in February or March to bring them to the MT Lab offices, show them some of the innovative projects they’ve done and do the fourth workshop of the series in person.”
On October 21, COTA renewed its memorandum of understanding with the Cree Native Arts and Crafts Association (CNACA) and the Cree Trappers’ Association (CTA). The three organizations reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening Cree culture, protecting traditional knowledge, fostering sustainable economic development and creating opportunities for future generations.
“With CNACA, it’s taking some of the raw materials that CTA’s hunters have and turning it into art and COTA is there to showcase the talents of the region,” CNACA executive director Dale Cooper.
McGinley said they are developing collaborative projects like the Cree Knowledge Festival, held in 2023 and 2024. CNACA artists are regularly promoted on COTA’s website and tourism guide.
“I think the moose-hide tanning project we did with the CTA in the past is coming back,” suggested Cooper. “We discussed creating our own auction house in the Cree Nation so these hunters can get compensated for their furs and we would have some raw materials. We’re trying to pool our resources to work together.”
Aiming to show that Cree organizations can deliver greater impact by working together, Cooper said that another agreement will soon be struck with the Cree Women of Eeyou Istchee Association. In August, CNACA signed an MOU with the Cree Nation Youth Council.
One idea is to create youth artist residencies similar to programs at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Cooper said they’ve discussed hosting these residencies at outfitting camps in the region or at Mistissini’s Nibiischii wildlife reserve.
In a recent CNG board council presentation, Cooper shared the Wachiya Store’s success in Montreal and showed the growing economic opportunities for Cree artists. CNACA is building a new website, which will include a social media community for Cree artists to share their work and connect with others.
“It’s something that hasn’t really been done before,” said Cooper. “If you’re looking for a guitarist for your band you can connect with other artists, if you’re promoting your work or looking for moose-hide for materials, this is a way to connect and support each other. The arts community is close-knit.”
A Cree fiddler dance group performed at COTA’s gathering on a night open to the community. The previous evening featured a screening of Nunaaluk: A Forgotten Story, a 29-minute documentary directed by Louise Abbott and produced by COTA in 2014 that explores the history of Inuit-Cree relations on Cape Hope (Nunaaluk), a James Bay island near Wemindji.
“The main focus is to promote and preserve our culture,” said McGinley. “As long as we’re putting resources to serve our beneficiaries, whether it’s the cultural events or the businesses that have Cree culture, those are all positive.”