The Rupert Report

From the Desk of AIANTA's CEO |February 13, 2023

This week we celebrated Gail Chehak's 10th Anniversary at AIANTA

AIANTA Highlights for the Coming Week

AITC Silent Auction Call for Donations!

2022 AITC Silent Auction Donations

Join us October 2-5, 2023 at the Excellence in Tourism Industry Awards Gala and Silent Auction to honor the best in Indian Country and raise money to help build a professional workforce. The 25th Annual American Indian Tourism Conference (AITC) in Durant, Oklahoma at the Choctaw Casino Resort, concludes with a memorable evening gala for the 12th annual Excellence in Tourism Industry Awards Gala and Silent Auction. 

During the gala, guests have the opportunity to bid for Native art from around the country, as well as other items and gift certificates to a variety of amazing Native destinations. The proceeds from the silent auction raise funds for AIANTA’s Hospitality and Tourism Scholarship Program.

You can help AIANTA raise funds for our scholarship program by donating your art, other items or by purchasing a table. Your support helps American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students pursue post-secondary degrees in hospitality, tourism management and other tourism-related fields. 

Thank you for your continued support of AIANTA and for allowing us the opportunity to tell our scholarship story. We humbly appreciate your consideration of our request for a donation to this event. 

We appreciate any and all donations but request items donated have a minimum value of $75. 

All Silent Auction donations must be received by September 30, 2023.

Excellence in Tourism Industry Awards: The 2022 Winners and their Tourism Initiatives

February 14, 2023 10 a.m. (Mountain)

Tribal Destination of the Year Winner:

Akwesasne Travel Cultural Tourism

Join us for our next webinar, Excellence in Tourism Industry Awards: The 2022 Winners and Their Tourism Initiatives, on February 14 at 10a.m. (Mountain).

AIANTA will introduce the 2022-2023 Excellence in Tourism Industry Award Winners in the categories of Tribal Destination of the Year, Industry Professional of the Year, Excellence in Customer Service and Best Cultural Heritage Experience. Winners of these prestigious awards have made a significant impact on tribal tourism, have helped AIANTA achieve its mission, foster a greater understanding of and appreciation for authentic culture, history, heritage and/or the arts, and showcase the best of Indian Country travel and tourism.

You will hear the winners and how their tourism initiatives got them nominated and ultimately win these prestigious awards. This webinar is also an information session on the nomination process for the upcoming 2023-2024 Excellence in Tourism Industry Awards taking place at this year's 25th Anniversary AITC at Choctaw Casino & Resort, in Durant, Oklahoma on October 5, 2023.

Nevada's 2023 Tribal Tourism Conference

Join us in March for Nevada's 2023 Tribal Tourism Conference! 

AIANTA is partnering with the Bureau of Land Management, Nevada’s Indian Territory and the Nevada Indian Commission to host the conference at the historic Stewart Indian School in Carson City, Nevada.

The Nevada Tribal Tourism Conference (NTTC) aims to facilitate conversations with the Native communities, federal agencies, nonprofit associations, and elected officials on the economic and cultural importance of a healthy hospitality industry as well as support for Tribes to tell their stories.



Among the activities for the conference, you will have a chance to tour the Museum and Cultural Center at Stewart and explore the grounds of this historic landmark. We will also be hosting a tour of the California Trail as it enters Carson City on the afternoon of March 20th. Local tribal members and historians will be on hand to discuss the impact the trail has had on Native people.

Some of the other things you can do at the conference.

• Hear from local, state, and national tourism experts.
• Connect and network with other tribes from across the state.
• Advance and develop your business, career, and tourism ventures.
• Gain an understanding of what is needed and how to participate in domestic and international markets.

Registration is now open and hotel accommodations are available!

Healing One Bite at a Time with Native Food & Plants

Feb 21, 2023 10:00 a.m. (Mountain)

Chef Jessica Walks First with Ketapapen Kitchen &

the Seed to Feed Native Food Initiative

Join us as the AIANTA Agritourism Specialist, Kelli Hepler introduces you to three experts who share with you approaches to introducing Native Foods to farm visitors using health as a strategy.

Eating your way to a healthier body and mind can be achieved. Studies show that the food’s nutrient density is higher when the produce is harvested at a peak ripened state. Once the food is picked, its sugars become starch, and the nutrient value diminishes. Let’s hear from our expert guest presenters about Getting Healthy One Bite at a Time. How can you integrate the information into your agritourism enterprise?

Join us as we learn from three leading Native Food experts: Tiana Suazo, Executive Director of the Red Willow Center in Taos Pueblo, NM; Chef Jessica Walks First with Ketapanen Kitchen and the Seed to Feed Native Food Initiative in Chicago, IL; and Spring Alaska Schreiner is the owner and Principal Ecologist-Indigenous Agriculturalist of Sakari Farms in Bend, OR.

Inviting guests to your agricultural enterprise to learn more about growing, harvesting and preparing native foods is a great way to increase on-farm sales and improve the health of your community.

AIANTA and Brand USA Host Native Southern California FAM Tour

AIANTA and Brand USA partnered for the fourth year to host a familiarization tour for Native America, which occurred last week (February 5-9, 2023) in Southern California. The itinerary, prepared by AIANTA, included 20 Native destinations and experiences across the Coachella Valley with representation from 4 of the 109 federally-recognized tribes in the state: Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Morongo Band of Mission Indians, Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, Cabazon Band of Cahuilla Indians. 

Brand USA recruited tour operators specially selected for this type of travel experience, resulting in a group representing buyers from France, Germany, and Spain as FAM participants. The participants shared their interest in expanding their product offerings to include Native destinations and experiences, and the FAM provided a unique opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge of what is available in Southern California. The FAM included visiting museums with Native interpreters, hiking trails with Native rangers/guides, and visiting tribal enterprises, including farms, hotels, casinos, spas, and an aerial tram.

A journalist from Indian Country Today also participated to highlight the work of AIANTA and Brand USA, the destinations and experiences, and promote the new statewide initiative “Visit Native California” that the state destination marketing organization, Visit California, launched last year. AIANTA is a proud supporter of the Visit Native California initiative and planning the FAM before the launch demonstrates AIANTA’s leadership in American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian cultural tourism that is growing momentum at the state level.

A press release will soon be available with more information, and we will be posting snapshots of our FAM on social media.