Indigenous tour guide Joe Bailey reveals the legends behind the
Aurora Borealis and the timeless Canadian region he calls homeNorthwest
Territories
CHASING THE NORTHERN LIGHTS IN THE
THREE MORE
INDIGENOUS
TOURSAURORA VILLAGE:
Experience 360-degree
celestial views from a heated
aurora-viewing swivel chair
or from the comfort of a
cosy teepee.TUNDRA NORTH
TOURS: Choose from
a range of artic adventures
such as driving along the
Aklavik ice road to sleeping
in a candlelit igloo.NARWAL
NORTHERN
ADVENTURES: Narwal
specialises in subarctic
survival training and
cultural programmes that
share the history of the
Inuit and Dene peoples.READ MORE ONLINE AT
SPECTACULARNWT.COM
DESTINATIONINDIGENOUS.CATour guide Joe Bailey was born and raised in
the Northwest Territories, CanadaH
aving been raised by my
grandparents on the traditional
Indigenous Dene lands, I’ve
been fortunate to have seen
and experienced the Northern Lights many
times throughout my life. They remain very
special to me, not only because they’re an
incredibly unique and beautiful natural
phenomenon, but also for the cultural and
spiritual signifi cance they have.
“When you see the Northern Lights,
it means someone close, maybe a good
friend or a relative who has passed away,
is letting you know they’re okay now,” my
grandparents used to tell me when we’d
camp out in the winter wilderness. “They
want you to be happy, live a good life and
know that you will meet them again one
day.” I still feel this every time I catch a
glimpse of the Northern Lights’ unearthly
dance across the sky.
I’m now very fortunate to own my own
tour company, North Star Adventures,
which does aurora tours in Yellowknife and
allows me to make a living doing what I love
— hunting for the Northern Lights. People
often say to me, “Joe, you see the Northern
Lights all the time — does it ever become
tedious?” To which I always give the same
response, “Never.”1
2
3
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AG
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| PAID CONTENT FOR NORTHWEST TERRITORIES TOURISM