Indigenous Land-based Education

Guided walking tours of the Petroforms

1.5 hour | May – October weather dependent

Your guide Diane will meet you at the trailhead to the Petroform site, located around 90 minutes East of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada within the Whiteshell Provincial Park. Diane will provide an overview of the park and share information on Indigenous land uses and histories in the area. As you walk along well-travelled trails, Diane will point out specific Petroforms and share stories and teachings that have been told for thousands of years.

Note: Manidoo-Abi is a sacred site and remains in use to this day. You may not realize that you are standing on or knocking over a Petroform at first glance. Additionally, you may see cloth offerings or gifts along the trail. Visitors must be respectful, and we ask that you do not touch or move any objects or materials from the site.

Group Tour Prices:

Individual people 1-6 people: $30/each

Small Groups of 7-10 people: $200

Large Groups of 11-20 people: $250

Classroom-sized Groups of 21-30 people: $300

Total Distance: Around 1km (round trip)

Physical Demands: Light to Medium

Suggested items to bring: good walking/hiking shoes for uneven ground, bug spray, hat, sunscreen, water. You may also choose to bring a mat or blanket to sit on.

Inclusions:

Guiding services

Not included:

Gratuities

Transportation to and from the site

Manitoba Provincial Park Pass

Educational Workshops

In addition to walking tours of the Petroform site, Diane provides workshop services for groups on a variety of topics:

Indigenous Moon knowledges

Indigenous Matrilineal Societies (pre-colonization)

Indigenous Women’s Wisdoms

Workshop Prices:

Virtual $250/hour

In-person $250/half day plus travel costs

In-person $500/full day plus travel costs

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Tammy Hansen - North End Women's Centre

“Diane Maytwayashing is a beautiful Knowledge Keeper who has been a teacher to many staff and participants at the North End Women’s Centre (NEWC) over the last many years. The Whiteshell Petroforms are beautiful, powerful and a spiritual place where the Anishinaabe creation story begins, as well as the matriarchal society that once existed, on-site in ceremonies. Having guided tours by a land-based Knowledge Keeper is the appropriate way to honour this sacred space. Diane walked beside us sharing stories and teachings in a way that can only be experienced on the land. She also brought her woman’s pipe and drum and offered us a ceremony where staff and participants were given their spirit names, colours, and clans. NEWC will continue to book with Diane to allow women to reconnect with Culture and heal on the land. Thank you, Diane, for loving us beautifully.”
David Christopher - Environmentalist

“The tour was a dose of reality and truth that I’d been yearning for. At the end, Diane read and shared that I’m hawk clan which has been unfolding for me ever since. Looking forward to returning to this sacred place and praying for its protection.”
Britney Hope - Canadian Traveller Magazine Writer

"This tour is something everyone who is passing through Whiteshell Provincial Park should experience. I visited the Bannock Point Petroforms—or ‘Manitouabee’—with the expectation of seeing a unique and meaningful monument to Indigenous history. The reality was so much more profound than that, thanks to Ms. Maytwayashing. Her tour was a perfect blend of cultural and archeological insight, cultural storytelling and spiritual generosity that made my visit to the Petroforms feel personal, emotional and truly one of a kind. From the tobacco offering at the edge of the forest and Ms. Maytwayashing's retelling of the 8,000-year-old history to her own experiences of overnight fasting at the site and the repatriation of Indigenous remains, her tour left me feeling like I, a lifelong Canadian, still had so much to still discover and learn about the real history of Turtle Island. The way Ms. Maytwayashing shared her knowledge of and love for the Petroforms with me throughout that day made the experience of walking through such an ancient, meaningful space felt deep and everlasting. It stays with me even today, years later, and I'm not likely to forget that feeling anytime soon. In fact, I hope I can visit again!”
Jenny Dupas - Moon Gate Guest House

“It was a hot summer day in The Whiteshell. Diane and her daughter welcomed us on a tour of the Bannock Point Petroforms. Diane's perspective and depth of knowledge about the petroforms were enlightening. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who would like to delve deeper into learning about the Anishinaabe culture.”
Isaac Murdoch (Bomgiizhik)

“As the Anishinaabe, we know the spirits live here on this earth. They live in the ground, on the ground, and in the sky. They are responsible for upholding the natural laws. We know that through these beautiful pictures of rock and stone, we are reminded of these natural laws.”

Contact Diane

I would love to hear from you! Contact me if you want more information about the Petroforms, tours, or workshops.

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Indigenous Land-based Education

Guided walking tours of the Petroforms

Educational Workshops

Tammy Hansen - North End Women's Centre

David Christopher - Environmentalist

“The tour was a dose of reality and truth that I’d been yearning for. At the end, Diane read and shared that I’m hawk clan which has been unfolding for me ever since. Looking forward to returning to this sacred place and praying for its protection.”

Britney Hope - Canadian Traveller Magazine Writer

Jenny Dupas - Moon Gate Guest House

Isaac Murdoch (Bomgiizhik)

“As the Anishinaabe, we know the spirits live here on this earth. They live in the ground, on the ground, and in the sky. They are responsible for upholding the natural laws. We know that through these beautiful pictures of rock and stone, we are reminded of these natural laws.”

Contact Diane