The Rupert Report

From the Desk of AIANTA's CEO | July 3, 2023

Join us in welcoming our newest AIANTA Intern, Savannah Sparvier!

Savannah is Lakota, Hunkpapa from the Fort Peck Assiniboine & Sioux Tribes located in Montana. 

AIANTA Highlights for the Coming Week

Submit Your Nominations For

The Excellence in Tourism Industry Awards

We are nearing the deadline to submit nominations for the Excellence in Tourism Industry Awards! Every year, during our annual American Indian Tourism Conference, AIANTA recognizes enterprises and individuals in four categories, Destination of the Year, Best Cultural Heritage Experience, Excellence in Customer Service and Industry Professional of the Year. The winners of the awards showcase the best of Indian Country travel and cultural tourism. Anyone in the tourism/hospitality industry may make a nomination. The nominee must be an AIANTA member in good standing to be considered for an award. If the nominee is a non-member, the nominating organization may sponsor the membership of the nominee.

Destinations International 2023 Visitor Services Summit

July 18, 2023

Dallas, TX

The Visitor Services Summit is a gathering of visitor experience and community engagement professionals. Join us this year as we focus on re-envisioning the purpose and value of the visitor center and how we engage with our communities, visitors, and residents. Learn from your peers as we share best practices, opportunities, and new innovations. 

National Park Service Internships for the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail

Internships with the National Park Service are available for the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. Working with AIANTA is one of the options. Work with our team to conduct research to support the National Park Service’s understanding of over 80 Tribal Nations with connections to lands and resources along the 4,900-mile Trail.

Tribal Focus, Geo-tourism Program, The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail (NHT) NPS. Conduct research to support the National Park Service’s understanding of over 80 Tribal Nations with connections to lands and resources along the 4,900-mile Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

Open Opportunities (usajobs.gov)

Native American Geo-tourism Program, The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail (NHT) NPS. Conduct research related to indigenous place names, treaties and ancestral lands.

Open Opportunities (usajobs.gov)

The World Eskimo-Indian Olympics

July 12 - 15, 2023

Fairbanks, AK

The games that are played display the preparation one needs for survival. Not only do the athletes need skill, but they also need strength, agility and endurance. The games left no part of the body or mind untested. These athletes have proven they have what it takes to make it and have many life lessons that they can pass along to young people (i.e., commitment, self-discipline, resilience and goal setting).

To better appreciate the background of these games, envision yourself celebrating a successful seal hunt in a community village shelter three hundred years ago with the temperature outside at 60 degrees below zero. The young men are demonstrating their athletic prowess and strength. The umialiks or whaling captains, are on the perimeter of the gathering place looking with great interest at the young adults - one or more of these young men could be incorporated into their whaling and hunting crews - the fastest, the strongest, the one showing great balance and endurance to pain will be the top pick.

Indian Country Today Interview

Exciting news! I recently did an interview with Indian Country Today and I was able to share the importance of developing a tribal tourism industry rooted in authenticity. I wanted to highlight why that development is vital to opening doors and building a brighter future for our upcoming generations. One of AIANTA's groundbreaking initiatives is our tribal agri-tourism program which is new to Native communities, the program helps food producers bring visitors into their process of production and allows them to share their produce with their visitors. This is just the beginning of Native communities using their traditional food practices to their advantage in a focused and intentional way to develop tribal economics. I hope you will watch the full interview to learn more about the amazing initiatives AIANTA has in store and about what others are doing to affirm our tribal sovereignty.