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O me'a"kwa: Happy New Year!
(I’m going to travel over there, Northern Paiute)
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As I write this note, I have just returned from the memorial service of AIANTA friend, former Nevada U.S Senator and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. I’m so saddened by the passing of Senator Reid, who was a staunch ally of Native Americans, including supporting the passage of the NATIVE Act, which was signed into law in 2016.
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SDSU Certificate in Cultural Tourism & Tribal Enterprises |
Register now for Level 1, beginning January 18, 2022
The for-credit certificate, taught by Eric S. Trevan, Ph.D. (Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, Gun Lake Tribe), brings together academic and industry experts who will provide tools to help tribal tourism planners develop tribally-specific tourism strategies that sustain a balance between tribal cultural environments, economic development, tourism promotion and recreational use.
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Join AIANTA by January 31, 2022, and receive one of AIANTA’s proprietary Apache Dancer thumb drives.
If you are already a member, you may renew your membership for 2022 by January 31, 2022 to receive the thumb drive. If you are a new member who has joined within the past 12 months, we can prorate your renewal for the remainder of 2022.
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Agritourism Specialist
Deadline: January 17, 2022
AIANTA is seeking an energetic, well-organized self-starter to serve as an Agritourism Specialist specific to Native agritourism product development and programming. This is a 13-month, project-based position with the potential to extend the position if additional funding is secured. This is a competitive recruitment, open to all qualified applicants. Résumés will be accepted until January 17, 2022. Hiring will occur following the recruitment process. The Agritourism Specialist is a full-time, non-exempt, project-based position appointed by the CEO of AIANTA.
Partner Program Coordinator (California Trail/Nevada)
Deadline: January 18, 2022
AIANTA is seeking an energetic, well-organized self-starter to serve as the Partner Program Coordinator for a California Trail/Nevada Project Based Position. This is a competitive recruitment, open to all qualified applicants. Résumés will be accepted until January 18, 2022. Hiring will occur following the recruitment process. The Partner Program Coordinator is a full-time, non-exempt position appointed by the CEO of the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association.
Graphic Designer (Contract Position)
Deadline: January 21, 2022
AIANTA is seeking a graphic designer for a print and online travel guide. The travel guide is the result of a partnership between AIANTA and the National Park Service to showcase Indigenous attractions and businesses located along the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail.
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2021 in Review: A Snapshot of AIANTA’s Year |
2021 was an incredibly productive year for AIANTA. Join us in celebrating some of our top accomplishments and memorable moments for the past year.
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GWU Professional Certificate Program in Cultural Heritage Tourism |
May 2 – June 19, 2022
Explore the fundamentals of tribal tourism planning with the Professional Certificate Program in Cultural Heritage Tourism offered by AIANTA in partnership with the George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies.
The online program brings together industry experts who help students explore the importance of including authentic Native American cultural experiences in their tourism planning.
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BLM and AIANTA Partner to Promote Nevada Tribes Along the California National Historic Trail |
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is partnering with AIANTA to develop a cultural tourism program for tribes located along the Northern Nevada portion of the California National Historic Trail (CHNT). The California National Historic Trail is part of the National Trail System, is administered by the National Park Service and passes though the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)-managed lands in California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming.
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Register for Go International 2022: Building Irresistible Cultural Tourism Packages |
April 19 – 20, 2022, Albuquerque, NM
Venue: Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Albuquerque, NM
Designed to help tribal tourism businesses keep up with the rapid shifts in the packaged travel landscape, Go International features expert speakers and hands-on presentations that will guide tribal enterprises and businesses in conceptualizing and developing their tourism product(s) and promoting them to tour operators, wholesalers and domestic and international group travelers.
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AIANTA Is Looking for Native Tour Operators & Guides |
AIANTA is updating its 2022 Native Tour Operators brochure, which is distributed at international and domestic tourism trade shows.
If you operate a tour or tour guide business, please email us at mpoling@aianta.org, for consideration for inclusion in this year's brochure.
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AIANTA Finalizing its Guide to Tribal Attractions Along the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail |
AIANTA is working in partnership with the National Park Service to identify tribes and their attractions along the Anza Trail. The attractions will be published in a print and online guide. We are nearing the end of gathering information for the guide and the accompanying map with traditional place names and Indigenous sites of significance.
It’s not too late to be included. If your tribe or business is along the trail, contact Gail Chehak at gchehak@aianta.org.
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AIANTA Continues Outreach to Tribes Along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail |
Plans are underway by AIANTA’s Lewis & Clark team for a spring trip to North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. The team is excited about the opportunity to reach out to tribal businesses, attractions, landmarks, and other points of interest on and around the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.
AIANTA is working in partnership with the National Park Service in developing cultural heritage content and itineraries for the Trail’s travel website LewisandClark.travel, as well as AIANTA’s tribal tourism-focused website, NativeAmerica.travel.
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Call for Participation AITC 2022 |
October 24 – 27, 2022
AITC 2022 will be held at Harrah’s Southern California Resort in partnership with The Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians in Funner, California. We are already looking for exhibitors, artisans and speakers. Please email AIANTA’s Education Manager Bianca Mitchell at bmitchell@aianta.org if you are interested in participating in AITC 2022.
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Harrah's SoCal, Funner, CA |
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Cultural Heritage Tourism Planner |
Within the pages of the Cultural Heritage Tourism Planner are the stories of the many tribes, Native business owners and other hospitality professionals who are taking control of their narrative, elevating their culture bearers, reclaiming their histories and driving better economic opportunities for their citizens while doing so.
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The Travel Trade Manual planner was designed to help Indigenous tourism professionals understand and navigate group travel and working with all levels of travel trade suppliers.
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Case Studies in Tribal Agritourism |
The first guide of its kind, Case Studies in Tribal Agritourism was created to inspire Native American and indigenous farmers, ranchers and other food producers interested in expanding their agricultural operations to include visitor components.
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AIANTA's Webinar Series presents marketing tips, funding opportunities and other tips for creating and growing successful tribal tourism enterprises. |
Upcoming Webinars
January 18, 2022; 1 p.m MST
January 25, 2022; 10 a.m. MST
On-Demand Webinars
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Shoshone Sugar Shack Espresso |
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Fort Washakie's newest coffee shop. Shoshone Sugar Shack Espresso is located in the parking lot of Shoshone Tribal Service and Food Mart, Fort Washakie’s only gas station. Be sure to stop in (or drive through) and choose from a large selection of lattes, breves, cappuccinos, hot chocolate, tea, Italian sodas, snacks and more! Shoshone Sugar Shack Espresso proudly serves small batch, artisan roasted coffee by Jackson Hole Roasters Coffee.
Managed by Melinda Dixon-Leven, Shoshone Sugar Shack Espresso is open 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays.
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Red Earth Gardens was started in 2013 with a three-fold mission: grow healthy food for Meskwaki Nation Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa Tribe members, teach job skills and continue the Meskwaki Nation’s connection with the land. Red Earth Gardens has accomplished all of this, and has also become an important part of not just its Tribe’s community, but that of Central Iowa as well.
Created as an enterprise of the Meskwaki Food Sovereignty Initiative, the farm sits on several acres behind the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel. Its high tunnel greenhouse grows crops almost year-round, and more high tunnels are being added to keep up with produce demand and create more full-time jobs. Outside, acres of rich soil produce a range of seasonal, organic crops. Careful monitoring of soil conditions, weeding, natural pest control and traditional knowledge of sympathetic crops and crop rotation yields vegetable, herb, flowers and fruit with no soil tilling or use of fertilizers or chemicals. Much attention is given to composting and worm farming, which further adds to the already fertile soil.
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AIANTA in the News
Chuck Sams Talks New Parks Leadership Role
The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association has just started an agreement in the West here to do just that. And they're trying to figure out exactly how to not only get into those kiosks, but to get into the interpretation centers, to get in and be able to do those presentations. Again, it's being able to use the synergy between national parks and tribes so that economic value comes to not just the park, but also to the gateway communities and the tribes themselves.
San Diego State University Certificate in Cultural Tourism and Tribal Enterprises
Malama Hawaii. Talking Regenerative Travel with Cultural Representative Kainoa Daines
Partnership Strengthens Commitment to Tribal Consultation and Collaboration
The National Park Service (NPS) and the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) have entered into a cooperative agreement to help facilitate regular, robust and meaningful dialogue between Tribes and the NPS. Strengthening relationships with Tribal governments is a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration and this partnership will ensure that the perspectives, voices and traditions of indigenous communities are incorporated into exhibits, outreach and cultural tourism programs in national parks.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition From an Indian Country Perspective
“If it wasn’t for Indians, Lewis and Clark probably wouldn’t have made it,” said Gail Chehak, tribal relations and outreach manager at the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA), which is collaborating with NPS to develop online itineraries to promote the tribes that intersected with Lewis and Clark on their way across what became the United States.
New Steering Group to Guide AIANTA & Leave No Trace Education Efforts
“The impacts have been large to our communities and places and spaces where we take people,” said Sherry Rupert, President and CEO of the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA), during her keynote at last month’s 23rd Annual American Indian Tourism Conference.
Indigenous Tourism an Economic Powerhouse
That’s according to a first-of-its-kind study by the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association and Honolulu-based SMS Research. The study was released at the association’s annual conference held at the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation’s We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort near Phoenix.
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Tribal Tourism in the News
January 11, 2022
January 10, 2022
January 10, 2022
January 9, 2022
January 9, 2022
January 7, 2022
January 1, 2022
January 1, 2022
December 30, 2021
December 28, 2021
Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza
December 27, 2021
December 27, 2021
December 13, 2021
Has your Tribe or tribal tourism enterprise been featured in the news?
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Welcome New AIANTA Members
New Members
Rob Smith, National Parks Conservation Association (Northwest-Individual)
Renewals
Laura Barraclough, Yale University (Northeast-Individual)
Bobbie Bigby, University of Notre Dame (Oklahoma-Student)
CJ Brafford, Ute Indian Museum (Southwest-Senior)
Sherrie Bowman, American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (Southwest-Senior)
Larry Burton, Outdoor Adventures (Great Basin-Senior)
Tanner Caterina-Knorr, Off Season Adventures & Safaris (Northeast-Student)
Lora Ann Chaisson, Tribal Solutions Group (Southeast-Senior)
Prudy Correa, Prudy Correa Arts (Southwest-Senior)
Ron Erdmann, CIC Research (Northeast-Senior)
Billie Jean Guerrero, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Museum (Great Basin-Senior)
Susan Guyette, Santa Fe Planning & Research (Southwest-Senior)
Adelheid Herrmann, Alaska Center for Climate Assessment & Policy (Alaska-Senior)
Bud Johnston, Keepers of the Sacred Tradition of Pipemakers (Midwest-Senior)
Elizabeth Krauth, U.S. Commercial Service (Pacific Northwest-Individual)
Yin-Mae Lee, Ramah Navajo School Board, Inc. (Southwest-Senior)
Robert Perry, Ancient Oklahoma (Southeast-Senior)
Brenda Thompson, Arizona Humanities (Southwest-Individual)
Emerson Vallo, American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (Southwest-Senior)
Gail Vander Stoep, Michigan State University Extension (Midwest-Senior)
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Join AIANTA Now
AIANTA members are well-informed and play a key role in supporting sustainable and authentic tribal tourism that benefits not only member tribes, but all tribes. With your help, we’ll continue to make sure that the right national decision makers hear your voice—and all our voices—so our people can thrive and grow.
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Shop AIANTA at Amazon.com
AIANTA has joined the AmazonSmile charitable giving program. After you designate AIANTA as your preferred charitable organization through AmazonSmile, Amazon will contribute .5 percent of all purchases to help support AIANTA programming.
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Thank You to our 2021 AITC Sponsors |
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Platinum Sponsor
Navajo Nation Parks & Recreation
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Amber Sponsor
We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort
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Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians
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Arizona Office of Tourism |
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Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort |
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Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino |
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NativeAmerica.Travel Facebook |
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Check out our brand new YouTube page. While you're there, please subscribe!
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Funding Opportunities
AIANTA collects funding opportunities that may be of interest to Indigenous or Native American tourism & hospitality enterprises looking to grow their tourism, culture, heritage, arts, agritourism or other culture and heritage programming.
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