June 2020
What's New at AIANTA

O me'a"kwa
(I’m going to travel over there, Northern Paiute)
Happy summer to all our friends, partners and members.

While June is usually a time for scheduling family vacations, pool parties and get-togethers with friends, the events of recent months have left many Americans planning for a new normal this summer season.

At AIANTA, June usually also signals the time of year that we gear up for our annual American Indian Tourism Conference. Although the conference was originally scheduled to take place in Fort McDowell, Arizona, these plans have changed.

We know that by September it may still be too much of a challenge for many of our partners to travel to Arizona, but our staff, board of directors and other stakeholders also agree that the information we share at AITC is too valuable to skip altogether. So we are thrilled to announce that our 2020 American Indian Tourism Conference will be a virtual forum.

Expanding Tourism Revenue through Agritourism
According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, the United States is home to nearly 80,000 Native American or Alaska Native farm producers.

Although that number represents just 2.3 percent of the country’s 3.4 million producers, Native-owned farm acreage makes up more than 6 percent of total U.S. farmland—59 million acres to be exact.

What’s more, the number of Native farms and producers is growing, and they far outpace the growth of all American farms.


Use Storytelling to Promote Your Destination
As the world looks ahead to a post-Covid-19 world, one question on everyone’s mind is “when can I start traveling again?”

Most tourism industry experts predict that travelers will start resuming vacation plans with a road trip that doesn’t stray too far from home. This is good news for Indian Country operators hoping to ease back into promoting their tourism products.



Re-Navigating the Anza Trail
While much has been written about European expansion into Western North America, far less has been chronicled about the Native American communities that continually inhabited California and Arizona long before the route became known as the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail.

In a one-of-a-kind partnership with the National Park Service, AIANTA will begin chronicling the stories of the tribes located on or near the Anza Trail.


American Indian Tourism Conference
American Indian Tourism Conference
AIANTA is excited to announce that we will be holding our first-ever virtual tourism conference. Designed around a theme, " One Country, Many Nations ," this year’s virtual AITC will unfold September 14-18, 2020 and content will only be available online and through the conference app.

Only registered attendees will have access to the virtual plenary sessions, workshops and tradeshow. Look for a full conference schedule and speaker line up to hit your inbox in the very near future.
 
In the meantime, for more information, visit the following links.
 

We'd also like to thank the talented Native artisans who have given us permission to use their custom-designed masks in our AITC branding.

AIANTA Opportunities
AIANTA Webinar Series
AIANTA's Webinar series presents marketing tips, funding opportunities and other tips for creating and growing successful tribal tourism enterprises.
Upcoming Webinars
Marketing Partnerships: Marketing to Re-emerging Travel
Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Dept of Agriculture and Forest Service Ways in Which The USFS and the USDA Support Cultural Heritage Tourism
Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Bureau of Indian Affairs NATIVE Act Implementation
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
On-Demand Webinars
Exploring Economic Development Administration (EDA) Funding Opportunities
June 2, 2020

Anza Trail and Tribal Tourism Marketing through Partnerships
May 13, 2020
AIANTA Tourism & Hospitality Scholarship
AIANTA is proud to offer the Tourism & Hospitality Scholarship, which provides American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students with financial assistance towards a degree or certificate in hospitality, tourism, recreation, culinary arts or related fields.

The deadline to apply is July 3, 2020 for the Fall 2020 semester.

Earn Your Professional Certificate in Cultural Heritage Tourism
Hone your cultural tourism skills by completing the Professional Certificate Program in Cultural Heritage Tourism, produced by the George Washington University in partnership with AIANTA.

Designed for busy tourism entrepreneurs and community leaders, this six-week course highlights key steps in creating and promoting tourism programs that preserve cultural identity and authenticity.

AIANTA to Highlight Tribes Along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
In partnership with the National Park Service, the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association will work with Tribes to develop cultural heritage content and itineraries for the websites LewisAndClark.travel and NativeAmerica.travel.

The Best of Indian Country Tourism
As the only organization dedicated to advancing tribal tourism across the United States, the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) recognizes the best of Indian Country travel and tourism at its Industry Awards ceremony, held every year during the American Indian Tourism Conference (AITC). Deadline to nominate is August 14, 2020.

Discover Native America
Choctaw Hunting Lodge
Choctaws have always held a deep respect for animals giving up their lives so humans may survive. Choctaw ancestors had a special relationship with the natural world and the animals they hunted which continues today. Choctaws hunted deer to provide for their families, while keeping the deer population healthy and balanced in the cycle of life.

Tour the beautiful and vast grounds of Choctaw Hunting Lodge and harvest the awesome whitetail, hog, and turkey that roam the grounds.


In the News
AIANTA in the News
Eating Up Easter
Following an OVEE virtual Indie Lens PopUp Screening of Eating Up Easter, New Mexico PBS featured a discussion by filmmakers Sergio and Elena Rapu, as well as Jerry Redfern and Megan Kamerick of the Society of Professional Journalists, and Emerson Vallo and Sherry Rupert from American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association. // PBS

The Comeback Trail
Before the pandemic, indigenous tourism in North America was an economic engine that helped tribes share and preserve cultures. Stakeholders say it’s more important than ever that tourism picks up where it left off. // Travel Weekly

Interested in a Career in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry?
AIANTA is proud to offer the Tourism & Hospitality Scholarship, which provides American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students with financial assistance towards a degree or certificate in hospitality, tourism, recreation, culinary arts or related fields. // Newe News, Sosonrih People of the Wind River Reservation  



AIANTA Members in the News
“Many Faces” mask exhibit opens at Museum of the Cherokee Indian
A new exhibit at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, called “Many Faces”, features the ancient art of Cherokee mask making in a modern realm and will inform visitors of this art form still practiced by some artists of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). // Cherokee One Feather

Mandaree All Indian Rodeo brings out many
Rodeo contestants and spectators gathered at the On The Slant Arena at Mandaree for an All Indian Rodeo this past Sunday. // Minot Daily News

Economy Task Force Sees Hope for Sitka
The task force, which represents a range of Sitka business, social and special interest groups, has been meeting weekly since April 21 to work on ways to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on Sitka’s economy. // Daily Sitka Sentinel

Explore Native Wisconsin this Summer With Native American Tourism of Wisconsin
The Tribal Nations of Wisconsin have put together an official guide to discover and explore the great Native American communities in our state. // WTMJ-TV Milwaukee

Landmark Agreement: Yurok Tribe Partners With Calif. Parks & Rec
The Yurok Tribe will officially begin operating the Stone Lagoon Visitor Center on June 1, 2020, following the completion of the first-ever Joint Powers Authority agreement between the California Department of Parks and Recreation and a Tribal government. // Native Business

50 Years Ago: Trading posts face end of operations
The average trading post operator on the reservation has been seeing his income decrease over the past five years by as much as 50 percent as Navajo families have shifted their shopping preferences to supermarkets in Window Rock and in border communities, said the report. // Navajo Times

Grand Canyon West Thanks Front-Line Workers With Free Admission; Announces $59 Admission and Skywalk Through July
During the first week of Grand Canyon West's reopening, June 1 through June 8, the company is offering complimentary general admission for police, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, healthcare workers, and teachers. // Cision PR Newswire

Alaska Natives' Celebration 2020 to be held online in June
Celebration 2020 will take place online from June 10 to 13, after Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) postponed this year's in-person gathering until 2021. // Travel Weekly

MASS Design Group to lead tribal engagement process for Willamette Falls Riverwalk
Per a statement announcing the news, the process will focus on gleaning—and then prioritizing—input and advice on design and programming aspects from five confederated tribes. // The Architects Newspaper

Hualapai River Runners to Relaunch Grand Canyon Whitewater Rafting Tours
Grand Canyon Resort Corporation announced they will be welcoming back guests to experience whitewater rafting on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon beginning on June 8, 2020. Also launching are exciting new whitewater rafting equipment and boat rental options. // Flagstaff Business News

Mad River Brewing Unveils First Logo Under Yurok Ownership
The Mad River Brewing Company’s award-winning craft ales will soon brandish an incredible new illustration that honors the business’s deep roots in Humboldt County, while clearly identifying it as a distinctly Yurok Tribe-owned entity. // Brewbound Brew Industry News, Events & Jobs

Indian Market Enters the Virtual Realm, SWAIA partners with the Clark Hulings Fund for Visual Artists for online sales platform
It's been just over a month since the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts announced it would cancel the 99th annual Indian Market amid COVID-19 concerns, and organizers have used that time to forge new partnerships, pivot plans and ultimately announce that the event is going online this year. // Santa Fe Reporter




Has your Tribe or tribal tourism enterprise been featured in the news?  Please let us know .

AIANTA Membership
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Southwest Business Development Consultants, LLC
Southwest Business Development Consultants, LLC (SWBDC) is an Albuquerque, New Mexico, based American Indian firm established in 1999 with a vision of providing comprehensive business, community, economic and tourism development services to American Indian and minority-owned businesses, tribal enterprises, tribal organizations, local, state and federal government agencies and private sector firms. 


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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.
Save the Date
Mark your calendars for these upcoming events

American Indian Tourism Conference
Sept. 14-18, 2020
Location: virtual

Cultural Heritage Certificate Program
Dates: October 5-November 22, 2020
Location: Online

Go International
Dates: April 21-22, 2021
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico