Maher, Patrick T

In August of 2014, the Sahtú Dene community of Délı̨nę launched a first-of-its-kind, collaborative pilot project entitled "Destination Deline". Fortuitously, the launch coincided precisely with the field research component of this research project, which had originally sought to investigate the marked lack of Indigenous participation, employment and partnership in the Northwest Territories' adventure tourism industry. The primary research objective then shifted, to explore whether Destination Délı̨nę could serve as a cogent model for developing culturally-sustainable Indigenous tourism in the region. This objective served also as a point of entry into a broader academic discussion about Indigenous-Settler relations, Indigenous resurgence, the tourism imaginary, and the role of government in mediating between private sector and Indigenous community interests. Through a series of in-depth, one-on-one interviews with Indigenous tour operators, non-Indigenous adventure tour outfitters, government officials, and community members, this thesis presents a complex and vibrant portrait of an industry in flux.

Author Keywords: Cultural Sustainability, Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous tourism, Indigenous-Settler relations, Market Imaginaries, Tourism Imaginaries