Community-based Ecotourism in the Broadback Valley, Quebec

The Broadback River Watershed harbors intact areas of boreal forest and it is considered an important wetland to be preserved. It is also the home of Cree First Nations communities, who demand the protection of their heritage lands in the Broadback Valley from forestry operations. My research project is about sustainable ecotourism in the Broadback Valley, owned and operated by Cree communities interested in protecting the last intact forest areas and diversifying the economy in a sustainable manner. Aboriginal ecotourism development is based on the empowerment of indigenous people, conservation of natural resources and economic independence. To develop this capstone project, I conducted a case study analysis of First Nations in Canada who developed community-based ecotourism in order to provide the Cree communities of the Broadback Valley with an overview of community ecotourism and its feasible and sustainable features. To achieve my goal, I focused on sustainable tourism as a framework for community development, and its connection to conservation and community well-being. The results of my research show that ecotourism could become an economically-positive development for First Nations communities in this region. This will require demonstration of the feasibility of an ecotourism initiative and using a sustainable ecotourism approach in which conservation of the Broadback Valley and the well-being of the local Cree communities are compatible