Talaysay Tours offers cultural tours, wellness experiences, and creative workshops that honour land, story, and community from Vancouver, Sunshine Coast, and Whister. Their goal is to build the next generation of business, tourism, education, and employment while supporting cultural revitalization, land-based education, and Indigenous reclamation in harmony with nature.
Authentic Indigenous recognizes Talaysay Tours for its commitment to responsible stewardship and public education, observance of values and governance of local First Nations, and creation of meaningful cultural exchanges that foster understanding, respect, and allyship.
Founded in 2002, Talaysay Tours is owned and operated by Candace Campo and her daughter, Talaysay Campo, Shíshálh and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation members and active participants in Indigenous tourism and education in British Columbia.
Talaysay Tours operates on the Traditional Territories of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation and Shishalh Nation, with their consent and support. Their work is rooted in cultural integrity, operating with deep respect for ancestral teachings, protocols, and responsibilities to the land and through continuous engagement with their communities, Elders, and youth.
Talaysay Tours The Indigenous tour operation actively hires and trains local Indigenous guides, prioritizing intergenerational knowledge transfer and cultural revitalization. They offer mentorship programs, participate in community events, and ensure that their cultural practices align with the values and governance of the respective First Nations on whose Traditional Territories they operate. By uplifting Indigenous voices and perspectives and sharing them with visitors, Talaysay demonstrates a high level of commitment to responsible stewardship and education on Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Shíshálh lands and waters.
Talaysay Tours is built on the teachings and values passed down through generations of Candace and Talaysay’s Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and shíshálh ancestors. The business honours and follows local protocols by seeking guidance from Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and cultural leaders, and ensuring that their practices reflect the laws of the land and water as understood in their unique Indigenous worldview.
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and shíshálh Peoples have lived sustainably for thousands of years, guided by a deep relationship with the land, water, and all living beings. Talaysay’s cultural experiences emphasize Indigenous land and water laws, teaching guests about stewardship, respect, and reciprocity. Through storytelling, plant knowledge, and language, they share teachings that are rooted in sustainability, community responsibility, and interconnection. Reconciliation is woven into their offierings–meaningful cultural exchanges that foster understanding, respect, and allyship and educational experiences that help bridge relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and shíshálh governance, values, and consent are the cornerstones of their business.
Talaysay Tours’ immersive, Indigenous-led guided tours share the rich cultural knowledge, history, and contemporary perspectives of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and shíshálh Nations and are rooted in storytelling, land-based education, and intergenerational knowledge sharing. Tours such as Talking Trees, Spoken Treasures, and Talking Totems highlight the significance of Indigenous plant medicine, sustainable harvesting practices, and their deep spiritual and cultural connection to the land and waters. The experiences integrate the use of Indigenous language (spoken and in place names), traditional and contemporary storytelling, and public education focused on Truth and Reconciliation, Indigenous rights, and the impacts of residential institutions.
– Talaysay Tours
Sharing elements of Indigenous art and design, their apparel line Love the Land and merchandise reflect cultural teachings and land-based values. Beyond tours, Talaysay offers cultural workshops, collaborates with schools and organizations for educational programming, and offers mentorship and employment to Indigenous youth. They uphold Indigenous stewardship by actively engaging in and sharing teachings around sustainability and respect for natural ecosystems.
Community is at the heart of everything Talaysay Tours does and as a Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and shíshálh owned and operated business, their work directly supports Indigenous employment, cultural revitalization, and intergenerational knowledge sharing for the two Nations. They proudly employ and mentorIndigenous youth, offering guided training programs that focus on leadership, cultural knowledge, and land-based education. Many of their guides are local community members who are encouraged to share their own stories, languages, and teachings, supported by Elders and experienced team leaders. This helps build personal and professional capacity while preserving cultural identity.
The tours serve as cultural gatherings and teaching opportunities on the land–not just for visitors, but for Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation and shíshálh Nation members who participate in leading, learning, and reclaiming space. Discounted or free participation is offered to Indigenous guests and school groups, with the goal of making cultural education accessible and inclusive. Talaysay Tours reinvests in the communities by sharing locally-sourced products, featuring Indigenous artists and designers, and contracting Indigenous service providers as photographers, digital marketers, and educators.
Talaysay Tours Talaysay Tours At Talaysay Tours, sustainability is not a trend, it is a way of life that has been practiced by our ancestors for thousands of years. Tours are grounded in Indigenous knowledge systems that emphasize respect, reciprocity, and responsibility to the land, waters, plants, and animals. Their guided cultural tours share stories about the land and teach the traditional uses of local plants, medicines, and natural resources.
Guests are educated on the importance of biodiversity, the impacts of colonization and climate change, and the urgent need to protect and conserve the land for future generations. We practice low-impact, land-based tourism by offering walking tours and using traditional modes of transit that do not rely on fossil fuels. Wherever possible, compostable and reusable materials are used and guests are encouraged to reduce waste during their visits.
Talaysay Tours partners with environmental and educational organizations to support stewardship initiatives and create community programming that reconnects youth with the land and their cultural responsibilities, contributing to the cultural return and revitalization of traditional Indigenous knowledge, food systems, and land-use practices. By centering their offerings around Indigenous laws and values, they demonstrate that sustainability is both a cultural and ecological responsibility. Talaysay Tours is committed to continuing this work in a way that strengthens their communities, uplifts the environment, and honours their ancestors.
