Indigenous Culture | Canada's Alberta

Celebrate the many Indigenous cultures that have shaped this land since time immemorial

Before Alberta was Alberta, it was home to First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples. Engaging with these cultures is an unforgettable way to experience this amazing place.

The 48 First Nations and Métis people that call Alberta home share certain languages and cultural practices. But there are also important differences. It all makes for a fascinating culture tapestry that visitors are free to explore.

The generosity of these communities and people allow us to live, explore and grow on these traditional territories. Ancient traditions and storytelling bring the land to life.

Discover more at Indigenous Tourism Alberta

Distance shot of people hiking and standing on hoodoos overlooking a river view — Explore Writing-on-Stone / Áísínai’pi Provincial Park's sacred roots.

Explore Indigenous historical sites

Several sites across the province offer unique perspectives on First Nations and Métis people. Visitors get first-hand insights and a taste of traditions and cultural practices that are thousands of years old.

Siksika Blackfoot dancers in front of the Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park Interpretive Centre.

Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park

The Siksika people showcase their culture and history at Blackfoot Crossing. The museum is built on the site of the signing of Treaty 7 in 1877. Beyond the exhibits, Blackfoot Crossing offers a range of experiences, including teepee camping.

Indigenous woman picks flowers for wellness program at Metis crossing.

Métis Crossing

Alberta’s first major Métis cultural interpretive centre was completed in 2020. You’ll find it in Smoky Lake, a town in the central part of the province. It sits on land owned by Métis settlers who came to the area in the 1800s and offers cultural experiences and a range of traditional workshops.

School group walking the pathways at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump with an Indigenous guide.

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is built on the site of a cliff that the Plains People used to hunt buffalo for some 6,000 years. The museum provides fascinating insights. Wandering the land gives visitors new perspectives and understandings of an ancient way of life.

A couple hand in hand walking towards a large tipi made out of metal. — The Saamis Teepee is the world’s largest, making it a prominent landmark in Medicine Hat.

A man and woman camping inside hoodoos while a fire burns next to them and the stars light up the nights sky. — Sleep beneath the stars in Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park.

Indigenous dancer focused on their movement on the beach.

Find Indigenous events in Alberta

Female Indigenous performer standing in front of a large stadium crowd.

Destination Indigenous

Two elderly women smiling as they listen to an Indigenous guide talking about the tree they are pointing at.

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Knowledge keepers who are happy to share

Visitors who spend even a little time with Matricia and Mackenzie Brown have no doubt that this mother-daughter team are warrior women. Their business shares the same name and it gives people a taste of Cree traditions, knowledge and cultural practices in Jasper National Park.

Warrior Women

Indigenous-led cultural experiences

Indigenous entrepreneurs offer authentic cultural experiences in every corner of the province. Visitors can take educational nature walks, hear fascinating stories and learn about Indigenous history from the people who know it best.

There are also a host of unforgettable Cultural Events that take place throughout the year.

Visitors on a medicine walk with Mahikan Trails, learning about plants and their healing benefits.

Mahikan Trails

A medicine walk in Banff or Sundre gives visitors a chance to learn how the Cree used the boreal forest as a medicine chest. Mahikan Trails also offers workshops where you can make medicines like a fire cider to treat flu.

Four people walking through the snow covered woods with bows and arrows.

Painted Warriors

There is no better classroom than the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It’s the best place to learn about Ojibway, Cree and Mohawk heritage while learning archery, snowshoeing, horseback riding or even glamping.

Wildhorse Ranch

Bear and Diane Baker are horse people. The owner-operators of this Rocky Mountain House Ranch love sharing their horse sense, sharing their land-based learning and leading wellness retreats.

Four people sitting by a river in the winter learning about antlers from a guide.

Jasper Tour Company

Explore Jasper National Park with Joe and Patti Urie, who offer boutique experiences. Explore the Athabasca Valley, including Maligne Canyon and Maligne Lake, a sacred site for the Stoney Nakoda people. Or take a wildlife tour to spot the photogenic mega-fauna of the area.

A view over the shoulders of a man and women listening to a guide showcasing painted rocks.

Talking Rock Tours

Get a Métis perspective on Alberta cultural history whether you’re in Edmonton’s River Valley, Elk Island National Park, Nordegg or the Badlands. Smaller groups allow for better connection to the land and fellow visitors.

Couple inside tipi at River Ranche Lodge

River Ranche Lodge

The lodge sits in an intact cottonwood riverine ecosystem on the Siksika Nation, an hour’s drive from Calgary. Try your hand at fly-fishing, sleep in a teepee or take a multi-day cultural stay on the banks of the Bow River.

Group of four smiling as they follow a tour guide along a glacier walk in the snow covered mountains.

Zuc’min Guiding

Zuc’min is based in Calgary but specializes in the mountains of Alberta. It offers Indigenous experiences, practices and knowledge delivered on tours dedicated to plant knowledge, mountain weather, leave-no-trace training and more.

Indigenous women smiling at the camera while sitting and making Indigenous art with colourful string.

Discover heavenly art rooted in the land

Indigenous art is as varied as its creators. Skilled artists work in a variety of media to give expression to tradition and contemporary experiences. You’ll find everything from painting and photography to carving and weaving. But however they express themselves, Alberta’s Indigenous artists offer a vital perspective on how ancient knowledge informs modern life.

Meet the Indigenous artists of Alberta

Woman smiling at two workers behind the counter of an art gallery.

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Visit Canada’s first Inuk-owned Inuit art gallery

Sophia Lebess is Inuit on her mother’s side and Greek on her father’s. She grew up in Nunavut amid an art cooperative run by her family. Combine that with 25 years of experience working in galleries her family operated, and you can see why her Transformation Fine Art has made such a splash on the Calgary gallery scene. Browse carvings, prints and fabric art to get a sense of the diversity and vitality of Inuit art.

Transformation Fine Art

Explore more galleries

Jason carter holding painting

Carter-Ryan Gallery and Live Art Venue

As the name suggests, this gallery is the work of Jason Carter and creative director Bridget Ryan. Carter hails from the Little Red River Cree Nation, and his bright, bold paintings have become instantly recognizable. Carter-Ryan has galleries in Canmore and Banff.

Interior of an art gallery.

Janvier Gallery

This gallery on the Cold Lake First Nation is a must-see. The building was designed by famed architect Douglas Cardinal and is home to the work of Alex Janvier, who enjoys a similar international fame. The gallery is open by appointment only.

Interior of a gallery filled with rock sculptures.

Bearclaw Gallery

Bearclaw has been showing the work of First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists since 1975. The Edmonton gallery features work by the likes of Alex Janvier, Norval Moriseau, Daphne Odjig and Inuit master carvers.

Woman smiling and holding two historical images in an art gallery.

Whiskeyjack Art House

The whiskeyjack is a bird known for its intelligence and curiosity. It’s a fitting name for this Edmonton Gallery that showcases a wide range of art from traditional to contemporary to jewelry.

Painting and ceramics on display at an art gallery.

That’s Empressive

The owner of this gallery, located in the village of Empress, has a sense of humour. It’s seen in the spelling of the gallery name, on the website which states, “We’re in cowboy country miles from anywhere,” and to the whimsical decor on offer alongside First Nations prints and paintings.

Close up on hands sewing and beading Indigenous art. — Indigenous sewing and beading at Métis Crossing.

Man sitting in an art studio with colourful paintings behind him. — Keegan Starlight is a painter from the Tsuut’ina First Nation who is known for his murals.

Find Indigenous culture on display at the museum

Exterior of first nation museum.

Tsuut’ina Nation Culture Museum

The Tsuut’ina Nation sits just west of Calgary, making this an easy trip for those visiting the city. It’s also a rewarding one. The museum preserves the nation’s culture and history. It also has a great gift shop stocked with authentic First Nations arts and crafts.

Wide angle view of a museum front entrance along a street with a mountain view.

Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum

This Banff museum lets visitors dive into the heritage of the First Nations people of the Northern Plains and Rocky Mountains. It has displays dedicated to daily life in the past as well as beautiful teepees, quillwork and ornamented regalia.

Two men looking at exhibits in a Museum.

Fort Chipewyan Bicentennial Museum

Northern Alberta is home to this museum housed in a reproduction of the Hudson’s Bay Company store from the 1870s. Visitors will find exhibits detailing the role Fort Chipewyan played in the exploration of Canada and the fur trade.

Interior walls of a museum with handing wall art.

Portage College Museum of Aboriginal Peoples’ Art & Artifacts

This museum—part of Lac la Biche’s Portage College—was founded in 1978 to correct the attitude that Indigenous art was not “real” art and not worth collecting. Today it houses some 2,000 artworks in all genres.

Native Cultural Arts Museum

This museum is attached to Northern Lakes College in the Northern Alberta community of Grouard. It is open to the public by appointment. Exhibits dedicated to the history, art and languages of Indigenous cultures in the region make it worth a visit.

Paahtómahksikimi Cultural Centre

In the Blackfoot language, “Waterton” is “paahtómahksikimi,” meaning “inner sacred lake.” The national park is home to many sites the Blackfoot People hold sacred. The museum helps visitors connect with the spirit of Waterton and Blackfoot history.

Siksika Blackfoot dancers standing in front of a tipi in Tipi Village — Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park offers an outstanding museum and self-guided outdoor tours of historical sites.

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