Hidden deep within the Canadian Rockies, Spirit Island is among the most photographed yet least accessible landmarks in Canada. Surrounded by the pristine waters of Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park, the island remains unreachable by road or foot, visible only by boat. Its stunning landscape, embraced by glaciers and snow-capped peaks, draws tens of thousands of visitors each year, yet few know the deeper story behind this sacred site—one that traces back to the Stoney First Nation, whose people were once forced away from it.
When explorers or adventurers paddle across the turquoise expanse of Maligne Lake, the journey is as much spiritual as it is physical. The fog-draped mountains, the echoes of elk in the distance, and the silent majesty of ancient glaciers create a sense of otherworldly calm. Those who persist through the 14-kilometre voyage from the nearest road find themselves before Spirit Island—a small, pine-covered piece of land that appears almost unreal in its beauty. Its iconic image, first popularised by a massive 18-metre Kodak display in New York’s Grand Central Station in 1960, has since appeared in Apple campaigns, films, and magazines worldwide, cementing its place as a symbol of Canada’s wilderness.
Yet, Spirit Island is more than a photographic marvel. For centuries, it has been known to the Stoney First Nation as Githni-mi-Makoche, or “Healing Island.” According to Barry Wesley, a Stoney knowledge keeper, the island has long been regarded as a sacred site of healing and ceremony, encircled by mountains believed to represent ancestors. When Jasper National Park was established in 1907, the Stoney were displaced, losing access to their ancestral lands, including this spiritual sanctuary. “The Creator gave us a responsibility to look after this land and this island,” Wesley said, reflecting on recent efforts to reconnect with the site and restore its significance to Indigenous communities.
The island’s rediscovery by the outside world can be traced to 1907, when American explorer and artist Mary Schäffer Warren, guided by a map drawn by Stoney hunter Samson Beaver, first located Maligne Lake. Her writings and photographs later inspired the Canadian government to protect the area. Ironically, while the world came to admire the landscape, Beaver’s own descendants were among those forcibly removed from it. Wesley, Beaver’s great-great-great-grandson, continues to honour that connection today, emphasising the need to preserve the island’s sanctity.
Access to Spirit Island remains tightly restricted; only members of the Stoney First Nation may step on its soil. Visitors can glimpse it either by taking a public cruise to a nearby viewpoint or by paddling a 28-kilometre round-trip journey. The latter offers an intimate encounter with the island’s mystique, allowing travellers to experience its solitude and the sense of reverence that locals describe.
Beyond the island, a broader Indigenous resurgence is unfolding across the Rockies. From Jasper to Banff, First Nations communities are reclaiming their stories and re-establishing ties to lands once taken from them. Guides like Tim Patterson and Lauren Moberly lead travellers through ancestral trails, recounting histories erased during the creation of national parks. As glaciers recede due to climate change and wildfires ravage parts of Jasper, Indigenous-led tourism and stewardship are helping reshape narratives around conservation and reconciliation.
For the Stoney and other First Nations peoples, Spirit Island embodies more than natural beauty—it represents healing, resilience, and the enduring bond between people and the land. As Wesley puts it, the island continues to speak to those who approach it with respect: “When you go towards Spirit Island, you will feel its energy. Take your time, listen, and it will tell you a story.”
