Tourism Curricula and Indigenous Learning Outcomes

Abstract

Although hospitality and tourism students in business programs are taught to develop and market product that meets the needs of various demand segments by playing on the “authentic” cultural and heritage elements of destinations, they are rarely exposed to underlying justice and ethics concerns, especially as they pertain to Indigenous populations. In a settler colonial country such as Canada, it is imperative that students are exposed to the underlying justice and ethics concerns of commoditizing cultural and heritage elements of destinations, especially as they pertain to Indigenous populations. This paper takes a closer look at the process of developing and embedding Indigenous Learning Outcomes in a tourism business program and the underlying principles for designing a more inclusive community engagement process. The case is that of the Tourism-Travel and Eco-Adventure program at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.