Respect in Every Step: Shinto & Indigenous Wisdom for Travellers

A gentle guide to exploring with humility, care, and reciprocity—whether you’re crossing oceans or crossing your street.

Move kindly through place—nearby or abroad

An Indigenous dancer in traditional regalia holds a decorated staff during a cultural gathering. Ceremonies and celebrations like this are living expressions of identity, language, and continuity. – Photo Credit: Dominique Boulay

We don’t need a passport stamp to practise responsible travel. The most meaningful journeys start with how we show up—curious, respectful, and light on the land. Around the world, wisdom traditions offer a compass: Shinto’s reverence for the everyday sacred, Indigenous teachings that centre reciprocity and kinship, and community principles that invite us to be good guests. This piece gathers those threads and turns them into small, repeatable habits you can use on the road—or right in your own neighbourhood.

Shinto: Seeing the Sacred in Everyday Places

No Litter, No Fuss: Japan’s Secret to a Cleaner World — A Shinto Shrine in Hakone, Kanagawa, Japan – Photo Credit: Truly South Asian

Shinto, Japan’s indigenous spirituality, invites travellers to notice kami—the spirit present in rivers, trees, stones, and winds. You’ll often encounter a torii gate before a shrine, signalling entry into a cared-for space.

How to apply it anywhere

Arrive clean, leave cleaner. Think of “misogi” (ritual purification) as a mindset: wipe boots before entering a community centre, pack out litter plus a little extra, and treat local parks like shrines.
Pause at thresholds. Before stepping onto a trail, viewpoint, or historic site, take a breath. A moment of gratitude changes behaviour.
Offer, don’t impose. In Shinto, small offerings (a coin, a bow, a quiet thank-you) are gestures of respect. Your version: support community-run initiatives, tip fairly, and give more than you take.

Anishinaabe Seven Grandfather Teachings: A Traveller’s Code

A vibrant painting in the Woodland style shows a large green turtle swimming through swirling blue water under a starry night sky. On the turtle’s shell is a small patch of land with trees and a figure standing at the centre in ceremony. The moon glows above, surrounded by flowing shapes of light that resemble the northern lights. Text in the corner credits the artist, James Faubert, 2023. — Anishinaabe-inspired artwork by James Faubert (2023). A turtle carries land, trees, and a ceremonial figure across the water beneath a glowing moon and northern lights. The image reflects teachings about balance, creation, and responsibility to the land often shared in Anishinaabe culture. Image courtesy of the artist.

Across many Nations on Turtle Island, the Anishinaabe teachings—Wisdom, Love, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Humility, and Truth—form a living code.

How to apply it anywhere

Respect: Ask before photographing people, homes, ceremonies, or sacred objects. “No” is a complete sentence.
Honesty: Share accurate stories. If you don’t know, don’t post—learn first, then amplify responsibly.
Humility: Centre local voices. Book Indigenous-owned tours and eateries when available; if not, ask your destination how to do so next time.
Bravery: Correct misinformation gently when you hear it—especially about local cultures or wildlife.

Māori Kaitiakitanga and Manaakitanga: Care for Place, Care for People

A line of Māori women stands side by side outdoors, wearing traditional clothing. Their outfits include patterned black, red, and white bodices and flax skirts with tassels, along with poi balls tied at the waist. They face forward with calm focus, preparing to perform. The background is slightly blurred with people and harbour structures. — Māori performers stand in formation wearing traditional dress, ready to welcome guests with song and poi. The moment reflects manaakitanga — the Māori value of care, respect, and hospitality. Photo credit: Eyes on New Zealand. Photo Credit: Eyes on New Zealand

In Aotearoa New Zealand, kaitiakitanga speaks to guardianship of the natural world; manaakitanga to generous hospitality and uplifting others.

How to apply it anywhere

Be a guardian, not a consumer. Choose low-impact transport, refill water, and stay on marked paths. Treat your favourite lookout like your living room—tidy, calm, cared-for.
Host energy, guest responsibility. When a community welcomes you (with directions, a meal, a story), reciprocate—shop locally, leave kind reviews, and respect closing times and seasonal limits.

Aloha ʻĀina & Kapu Aloha: Love the Land, Lead with Restraint

A young child with long dark hair leans in close to a huge bright green leaf, holding it gently with both hands and pressing her face toward it as if smelling or listening. She is surrounded by lush plants, and the background is soft and green. — A child pauses to connect with a kalo (taro) leaf in a lush garden. In many Indigenous and local traditions, caring for the land begins with teaching children to notice, listen, and show respect to what grows. – Photo Credit: Hui Aloha Aina Momona

In Hawaiʻi, aloha ʻāina means love for the land; kapu aloha is disciplined, respectful conduct—even under pressure.

How to apply it anywhere

Choose the slower joy. Skip fragile “secret spots.” Visit managed sites, heed capacity limits, and travel mid-week or off-season when possible.
Practise restraint. If a place is crowded or struggling, change plans. Responsible travellers leave room for residents to live well.

Caring for Country & Songlines: Listen Before You Step

A group of children dance barefoot outdoors on sandy ground. They are dressed in bright clothing — red skirts or shorts, some with woven grass skirts and white tank tops, others in patterned shirts and headbands. Their knees are bent and their hands are poised in motion, focused and energetic. Adults and palm leaves can be seen in the background, suggesting a community celebration. — Children perform a traditional dance during a community celebration in the Torres Strait Islands. Cultural practices like this are taught young and carried forward with pride, movement, and story. Photo Credit: Torres Straight Regional Office

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples hold deep relationships with Country—a living whole that includes people, plants, animals, stories, and ancestors.

How to apply it anywhere

Walk with permission. Some landscapes have restricted or seasonal access. Follow local guidance and signage.
Learn the story of place. Before you hike, learn whose land you’re on and what rules keep it healthy. Story shapes stewardship.

Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ—“All My Relations”

A group of women wrapped in brightly coloured shawls stand together in a circle. The artwork honours women’s strength, warmth, and community in Indigenous culture. – Photo Credit: Artist/Copyright: Barbara Latham

Across many Plains Nations, the phrase Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ (Lakota for “all my relations”) honours kinship with all beings.

How to apply it anywhere

Travel as a relative. Speak softly in wild places, keep distance from wildlife, never bait animals for photos, and refuse attractions that exploit them.
Share the space. Yield the best view to the wheelchair user, the elder, the family with small kids. Kinship looks like practical kindness.

Make the Most of Your Own Backyard

A person wearing gardening gloves and a red plaid shirt holds a small lettuce plant with its roots and soil exposed, resting on a trowel. The background is a green garden bed. — Tending what’s right in front of you: a gardener lifts a fresh lettuce start from the soil. Caring for one small patch — a backyard bed, a shared plot, even a balcony planter — is its own kind of travel, rooted in place. Photo Credit: Helena Lopes

Most of us won’t see the whole world—and that’s okay. Depth beats distance.

Ideas for local “pilgrimages”

Adopt a patch. Choose one ravine, beach, or park. Visit monthly, pick up litter, log seasonal changes, and report issues to the city. You’re its guardian now.
Neighbourhood seasons. Plan four micro-journeys a year—spring blossoms, summer dusk birdsong, autumn colours, winter light. Photograph the same tree each time to witness change.
Community markets as culture class. Learn three producer stories and what’s in season. Ask how climate is affecting crops and how you can help.
Transit adventures. Take the bus or train to the end of the line and walk back toward a main station, café by café. Notice murals, languages, and small museums you’d usually miss.

Practical Tips (Trip Jaunt Style)

A woman stands outdoors in nature, holding her hands up in front of her face with her thumbs and index fingers forming a rectangle, like a film director framing a shot. She is looking through the space between her hands, focusing on the view. — The author pauses in the middle of nature and lifts her hands to frame the scene like a director. It’s a quiet reminder that perspective is a choice — you can decide what beauty to pay attention to. Photo Credit: Leib Kopman

Respect

Ask before photographing people, private property, or ceremonies. Follow posted guidelines at cultural and natural sites.
Dress modestly where appropriate; remove shoes or hats where requested.

Support

Prioritise Indigenous-owned and community-owned businesses and guides when available.
Carry cash for small markets and donation boxes; tip fairly.

Protect

Stay on marked paths; pack out waste; use reef-safe sunscreen and unscented products near sensitive ecosystems.
Keep wildlife wild—no feeding, touching, or chasing for content.

Share

Credit artists and knowledge-keepers when you quote or post.
Leave accurate, kind reviews to help responsible operators thrive.

Helpful Resources (start here)

An Indigenous woman stands outdoors in soft sunlight, holding a hand drum and drumstick. She wears a woven headband and a cream-coloured shawl with colourful geometric patterns and long fringe. She looks into the distance with a calm, focused expression. Forest trees are softly blurred behind her. — An Indigenous cultural leader holds a hand drum during an outdoor teaching on respect for the land and water. Responsible travel in these territories begins with listening to the people who have cared for this place since long before tourism. Photo: Indigenous Tourism BC.

Your city’s parks and conservation authority pages for trail etiquette and seasonal closures.
Local or national Indigenous tourism organisations and cultural centres for respectful visiting guidelines and authentic experiences.
Community museums, libraries, and historical societies for deep context before you go.

The Takeaway

Woman picking up plastic bottle from a public park — A traveller pauses to pick up a plastic bottle left on the ground, helping keep the area clean. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Responsible travel is less about where we go and more about how we move through the world. Shinto reminds us to treat places as sacred; Indigenous teachings ask us to travel with humility, reciprocity, and kinship. Practised daily—in our own neighbourhoods—these habits turn any walk into a pilgrimage and any trip into a relationship.

Tips: Begin with one habit (ask before photos, or adopt-a-patch) and one choice (book a community-owned tour). Build from there.
Website: For local guidelines and experiences, consult your city’s official tourism site and local Indigenous tourism organisation; look for community-owned operators and cultural centres in your area.