Anglers who fish the Bow River that runs through Calgary do so for the prized brown and rainbow trout that it is known for, but in the process, they are introduced to the deeper role that these waters play in the lives of Alberta’s Indigenous Peoples.

The fast-moving water on the Bow River comes from the snowmelt of Bow Lake in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. It flows for hundreds of fishable miles giving anglers plenty of opportunities to experience wilderness fly fishing on remote sections outside of Calgary or take advantage of float fishing where the river runs through the city. 

Quinn Soonias has guided anglers on the Bow River for more than 17 years. Each morning begins the same by paying homage to his Cree heritage during the quiet stillness on the water that syncs with the sunrise. “One of the things I like to do is a tobacco offering,” said Soonias, owner of Drift Out West Fly Fishing. “That's just a way to show respect to the creator, Mother Earth, the spirits and the animals.”

Quinn Soonias shares his Cree culture with the anglers he guides on the Bow River in Calgary, Alberta. (Photo: Quinn Soonias)

Soonias’ ancestors are part of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation, located in Treaty 6 Territory at the junction of the Bow River and the North Saskatchewan River. This junction was vital for survival because they lived off the land and water. 

The surrounding natural elements are synonymous with life. Tobacco is one of the four medicines for Indigenous Peoples along with cedar, sage and sweetgrass that are also commonly used in ceremonies.

Quinn Soonias introduces anglers to the customs of his to make an offering of tobacco to the water. (Photo: Brea Elford)

Opening his tackle box, Soonias moves aside the self-tied flies he’s prepared for the day and reaches for a small leather pouch of tobacco. As he unfolds the worn leather in the palm of his hand revealing the loose tobacco, Soonias takes a small pinch for himself then offers it to the two anglers who are with him for the day. His offering is heartfelt and honest. 

The moment is silent as each angler takes a small pinch and reaches towards the water to release the tobacco. “Water for Indigenous People is sacred. It's the center of life. It's in everything: the food we eat; the animals need it; the plants need it; we need it. It's in the air when there's humidity and we're breathing that in. We need it to survive,” said Soonias.

Anglers who go out with Soonias do so for his fishing expertise on the Bow River but also to share these kinds of customs of Indigenous Peoples that are integral to the outdoor experiences in this region. To Soonias, sharing his culture with visiting anglers is as important as teaching them fly fishing techniques and catching prized fish.

The tobacco ceremony is significant for Soonias who has spent much of his adult life re-discovering the practices and customs of his Cree ancestors. These kinds of authentic experiences with Indigenous guides are important gateways to opening the sometimes-difficult conversations about the darker past for Indigenous Peoples in Canada and the reconciliation efforts underway to preserve customs and cultures that were nearly lost.

As the sun continues to rise over Calgary, it’s time to head down the river.

Early morning mist on the Bow River welcomes anglers fishing for trout. (Photo: Ryan Lees)

Bow River Traditions

The Bow River has a long history with anglers and an even longer importance to the Indigenous Peoples who relied on it for survival for thousands of years.

While the notably large brown and rainbow trout are what many anglers hope to catch, they might also bring in whitefish, cutthroat trout, cutbow trout, burbot or an occasional northern pike. 

“They [fish] can be quite big and the strength of them is what people tend to remember. I think it's because it's a strong moving river. The fish just get strong from living in it for so long,” said Soonias. Anglers can catch trout for nearly 125 miles on the Bow River stretching from Banff National Park through Canmore. The section of river that extends through downtown Calgary begins a 35-mile Blue Ribbon trout fishery that is easily accessible to any angler.

“It's pretty amazing when you float that section in the city because you come around a certain corner and then all of a sudden it's just the skyline of downtown Calgary and you're like, wow, okay, we're right in the city,” said Soonias. 

Soonias manually aligns the boat through the small rapids and changing seams that are common holding spots for trout while instructing his clients on where to cast, offering technique reminders as they execute what was practiced on the shoreline.

“Cast to the left into the seam where the water changes color,” said Soonias.

There’s a strong breeze on this early summer morning making it difficult to land the fly line in its intended spot.

“Mend the line,” Soonias reminds anglers, so they keep the curve of the line upstream.

The anglers are nymphing which is a wet fly used to imitate subaquatic insects and a productive method on the Bow River. Soonias explains that dry fly fishing and using streamers are other methods commonly used.

There’s a gentle rhythmic cadence happening out on the water. Soonias’ soft voice of instruction is accompanied with visuals of coordinated and acrobatic flocks of Franklin’s Gulls competing for the fresh hatch of food drifting down the river. The soft taps of water moving beside the boat round out the symphonic beauty that envelops the anglers who are lulled into a peaceful trance by nature’s orchestra.

Angler Aviva Kohen delights at her first fish of the day, a whitefish, caught on the Bow River in Calgary. (Photo: Anietra Hamper) 

Then suddenly, the energy changes.

“I’ve got one,” shouts the angler in the back of the boat.

“Keep the line tight and carefully bring it towards the boat,” said Soonias as he leans over the side with the net to bring in the first fish of the day. It’s a whitefish.

The conversation ebbs and flows like the current, evolving from appreciation for fishing and the calming effect of nature to the inevitable deeper discussions about Canada’s Indigenous Peoples.

The Bow River plays a significant role in the lives of Alberta’s Indigenous Peoples. (Photo: Roam Creative)

Reclaiming a Lost Culture

Part of Soonias’ passion for guiding on the Bow River is derived from an obligation he feels to recover some of his heritage that was lost during a time when Canada’s residential school system separated First Nations children from their families. The schools served to indoctrinate children into a new culture stripping them of their Indigenous ties. 

A final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, issued in 2015, exposed the residential schools as being responsible for what it called cultural genocide. They operated for more than 160 years and well into the 1990s. 

Many of Soonias’ family members, including his grandfather, were taken from their homes, stripped of their heritage, and forced into another way of life. While a reconciliation effort is underway in Canada nothing can replace the generations of lost customs and cultures that were eliminated as a result.

Like Soonias sharing customs from his Cree heritage with anglers on the Bow River, other outdoor guides who are descendants of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples in Canada are also finding ways to reconnect the dots of their ancestry. More importantly, they are sharing their skills and awareness of their cultural traditions with others.

Tim Mearns of Painted Warriors teaches visitors archery at his ranch outside of Calgary. (Photo: Anietra Hamper)

Difficult Conversations

Soonias is not alone in trying to rediscover the part of his lost heritage that he is proud to represent.

Tim Mearns, Owner Painted Warriors is Ojibway from the Cote First Nations whose grandfather and mother were residential school survivors. They were taught to be ashamed of their cultures. Mearns’ mother moved his family on and off reservations while growing up and as a result he knew very little about his ancestry as a child.

“She didn't want us growing up on the reserve, so she moved us all away from it. My mom was really kind of ashamed of her culture. She would always say, ‘don’t tell people if they ask you about your skin’,” said Mearns. 

Before his mother died, she had a change of heart. She eventually learned to be proud of her true heritage. This is what inspired Mearns to dig deeper into his past and reclaim some of the Ojibway culture and customs that he was so shielded from as a child.

“She was right that we need to be proud of who we are. She didn't get to learn about our culture in the school, because if you spoke your language, you ended up in a box,” said Mearns. 

Archery guide Tracey Klettl teaches techniques from her Cree and Mohawk heritage at the Painted Warriors ranch. (Photo: Painted Warriors)

Mearns and his wife Tracey Klettl founded Painted Warriors in 2010, a ranch that provides wilderness education, camps and hands-on outdoor experiences like archery derived from their combined Ojibway, Cree and Mohawk heritage. They started Painted Warriors to get back to their own roots and connect people to the outdoors through land-based experiences and Indigenous traditions. 

“The land is sacred to us here,” said Mearns. “You can hear the leaves rustling and it's peaceful. You watch the dandelions grow and you know when the dandelions are out, the bears are out and then suddenly, the butterflies are out, and then the birds that eat the butterflies just start showing up. So, it's about reconnecting.”

The experiences guests have at Painted Warriors amount to more than just new horseback riding or fire-starting skills but opening conversations and understanding. Like the fishing experiences that anglers have with Soonias on the water, these conversational bridges are built with Mearns through traditional land-based activities.

“It’s putting everybody in the same moment, in the same feeling sharing the same smells, and sounds. A lot of people don't know what to do when they go to an Indigenous community and that's why we're trying to build it together,” said Mearns.

These shared moments break down what might otherwise be intimidating barriers for non-Indigenous visitors to ask questions. These are healing bridges of understanding built through physical connection to the land, water and the personal interaction with Indigenous guides. 

A staff member at Bragg Creek OneSpot Crossing Campground shares knowledge on indigenous pieces with the family inside one of their tipis (Photo: Indigenous Tourism Alberta)

Cultural Preservation

While Soonias and Mearns have personal reasons for wanting to reconnect to their heritage through shared experiences with visitors, they are getting added support for preserving their cultures from Indigenous Tourism Alberta (ITA).

The ITA is an Indigenous-led non-profit driving support for culturally rich and authentic Indigenous tourism experiences with Indigenous guides. There’s a lot to learn when you consider that the Indigenous population in Canada is made up of more than 600 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities with cultural diversity that is unique to each.

“Within all of that diversity, we tend to see ITA members get into tourism because they want to share authentic knowledge, culture, language and understanding, so that tends to be a shared value among Indigenous tourism operators, " said Tom Babin, Director of Marketing for Indigenous Tourism Alberta.

ITA recognizes that cultural conversations, even the difficult ones, are important for shared knowledge and understanding and most importantly to carve a path forward together through a common understanding. 

“Indigenous tourism experiences are a lot of fun. Yes, there’s a lot to learn, but connecting and laughing together may be the best way to break down these barriers and really get to know each other,” said Babin. 

The purity of the natural surroundings helps those bonds too. Being able to touch, see, smell and take part in physical activities like archery and fishing that were a fundamental part of survival for the Indigenous Peoples makes a lasting connection to these lands.

Quinn Soonias guiding an angler on the Bow River. (Photo: Brea Elford)

One Stepping Stone at a Time 

Back on the Bow River, the morning sun gives way to the warmer dry air of midday. The fish bite slows for the anglers who are still repeatedly casting flies out into the water. They land a large rainbow trout sharing in the excitement that the river delivered a spectacular catch reinforcing its reputation among anglers. 

“Even if we don't talk anymore about Indigenous stuff, I already planted a seed in your head. Maybe you're going to want to look this up a little bit more. If I can do that, plant that seed, then that's just one little stepping stone that moves us closer to what we need to accomplish,” said Soonias.  

The laughter and new friendships formed during these few hours together on the water result in mystical connectedness to each other and to the natural surroundings. 

The natural landscape surrounding the Bow River with the Canadian Rockies in the distance. (Photo: Anietra Hamper) 

As the anglers get off the water it’s a day for celebrating great catches that are iconic to the Bow River and a unique connectedness to the outdoors experiences in this region. 

The day ends as it started in moments of unspoken reflection. There’s a silent respect for the significance of nature and for Alberta’s Indigenous Peoples who deserve to be recognized for their existence and continued contributions to this precious natural landscape.