By Allie Murray, Global Heroes
Deep in the COVID-19 lockdown, while trying to find a way to pivot her Indigenous tourism experiences in Ottawa, Ont., Trina Mather-Simard discovered her Trojan horse: the Ojibwe Spirit Horse, quietly carrying a powerful new direction.
As the pandemic forced her Indigenous tourism business—Indigenous Experiences—to temporarily shut, she began to realize that the tourism industry would be forever changed. After 19 years of successful operations, Mather-Simard and her team strategized how to move forward in a changed world.
“During this process, while I was at home with my family during one of the COVID lockdowns, I heard an interesting story of the Ojibwe Spirit Horse by an artist and knowledge keeper, Rhonda Snow,” Mather-Simard explained. “I was instantly connected to them and inspired by their shared story of losing their connection to their traditional lands, but a positive story of resilience—they are still here! Just as our communities are still here! I knew they needed to join our team as four-legged ambassadors and be part of our story we shared.”