Indigenous ecotourism's role in transforming ecological consciousness

Abstract

While ecotourism has many positive attributes, perhaps the most interesting is its potential to foster transformations in ecological consciousness that some view as vital to achieving more sustainable human–environmental relationships. Frequently, indigenous peoples and their cultures have been associated with ecotourism because of the ‘strong bond between indigenous cultures and the natural environment’ [Zeppel, H. (2006). Indigenous ecotourism: Sustainable development and management. Wallingford, UK: CABI.]. In fact, there are numerous examples from around the world of indigenous communities using the opportunity that ecotourism provides to educate non-indigenous people about indigenous values and lifeways in the hopes of overturning the destructive nature of the Western environmental paradigm. This article offers a critical perspective on the capacity of indigenous ecotourism to foster more sustainable lifeways by transforming the ecological consciousness of participants and stakeholders in ecotourism. This is timely as non-indigenous academic Fennell [(2008). Ecotourism and the myth of indigenous stewardship. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 16(2), 129–149] has recently presented a controversial analysis of the ‘myth of indigenous stewardship’. This paper focuses on the writings of indigenous experts to explore these complex issues. In addition to this conceptual analysis, this article offers a brief case study of Camp Coorong in South Australia, which demonstrates that some indigenous communities are using ecotourism to teach indigenous values in the hope of fostering transformations in consciousness.

Keywords:

• Indigenous ecotourism
• ecological consciousness
• Indigenist paradigm
• myth of indigenous stewardship
• camp Coorong

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank members of the Ngarrindjeri community, especially Tom Trevorrow, Ellen Trevorrow and Matt Rigney of Camp Coorong, for their collaboration in the research that underpins this article. Additional thanks are due to Joan Gibbs for information on her students’ experiences at Camp Coorong, Gabrielle Russell-Mundine for constructive feedback and Kate Leeson for editorial assistance.

Notes

While acknowledging that ecotourism is subject to extensive debates and criticism, particularly for the charge of ‘greenwashing’ (Weaver, 2001, pp. 91–92), this analysis focuses on the positive possibilities of one aspect of ecotourism, that of transforming ecological consciousness through indigenous cultural–ecological tourism.

Higgins-Desbiolles (2006, pp. 344–345) provides an analysis of the visitors books and sign-in sheets which suggests that out of some 7000 entries, only 11 were clearly negative.

The Coorong and Lower Lakes of Ngarrindjeri country were placed on the Ramsar ‘List of Wetlands of International Importance especially for Waterfowl Habitat’ in 1985. In 1999, the South Australian government sought consultation from relevant stakeholders as it created the Coorong, Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert Management Ramsar Management Plan.

It is disturbing to hear of these intimate connections between Ngarrindjeri and their environment in light of recent news reports describing major environmental degradation of the Murray River, Lakes and Coorong due to poor management practices and long-term drought conditions. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and Race Discrimination Commissioner Calma (2008) stated that this in fact represents ‘a new wave of dispossession’ for indigenous nations such as the Ngarrindjeri and needs to be seen in terms of human rights.

For a discussion of indigenous rights in tourism, see Higgins-Desbiolles (2007).

Native American leader LaDuke (1996) has made an equal catalogue of the significant fights Native American communities have fought to protect the environment against environmentally destructive development.

Gossling's (2002) analysis of the impact of tourism on the development of an environmental consciousness suggests this may in fact foster greater growth and spread of tourism as wealthy tourists seek out untouched environments around the globe, thereby becoming disembedded from their local environments and thus undermining environmental sustainability.