The Rupert Report

From the Desk of AIANTA's CEO | April 10, 2023

CEO Rupert pictured with Mo Brings Plenty (Actor) at #RES2023 in Las Vegas, NV

AIANTA Highlights for the Coming Week

Manahoo,

Last week I was on the road in Las Vegas at the Reservation Economic Summit (RES) where I had the opportunity to participate in two sessions: “Enhancing Native Food Sovereignty through Native Agritourism,” focused on the development of Native Agritourism/Culinary Tourism to support Native Food Sovereignty goals and objectives. In the second session, “Building Your Sustainable Tourism Brand,” the panel provided insights into proven approaches and new initiatives to allow tribes to capitalize on their unique potential without sacrificing their own well-being or the lands they steward. Did you know that RES is the largest and longest-running national American Indian business event in the nation? If you haven’t had the opportunity to experience RES, I encourage you to add it to your list of events for 2024 along with AIANTA’s American Indian Tourism Conference, of course!

In New news - I’m thrilled to announce that AIANTA and our collaborative partner the U.S. Forest Service have made our awardee selections for the FY 22 U.S. Forest Service/AIANTA NATIVE Act Grants. Of 21 applicants, six project proposals will receive NATIVE Act funding support from the U.S. Forest Service, to aid their efforts to enhance cultural tourism and recreation for the advancement of Native American communities.

AIANTA was at RES 2023!

My team from AIANTA and I had a fantastic time at RES 2023! I had the opportunity to moderate the session entitled "Enhancing Native Food Sovereignty through Native Agritourism", showcasing the speaker expertise of Kelli Hepler, Agritourism Specialist at AIANTA, and Diné Chef Freddie Bitsoie. Chef Bitsoie wrote the cookbook New Native Kitchen, in this book he shared his knowledge of why cooking Native American foods is beneficial to people's health and how it doesn't have to be difficult to cook those recipes or find the ingredients.

During the remainder of the conference, the AIANTA team spent their time recruiting artisans and exhibitors for the American Indian Tourism Conference (AITC), new AIANTA members, and informing other attendees about the benefits of visiting and joining NativeAmerica.travel.

Recipients Selected for NATIVE Act Grants

The U.S. Forest Service and AIANTA have selected six recipients who will receive funding from the NATIVE Act Grants. The proposals were selected based on their initiatives to develop infrastructure and/or technical assistance in Native American communities and range from $50,000 to $250,000 each. Learn more at AIANTA.org under AIANTA Press Releases.

We Chose Our 2023 Women Leaders In Tourism!

We are proud to announce our choice for the 2023 Women Leaders in Tourism. We have selected eleven women who we believe are prime examples of leaders in the cultural tourism industry. These women understand the importance of responsible tourism that respects cultural values and traditions. They have developed experiences and destinations which provide authentic experiences showcasing their connection to culture. Looking forward to continuing work with these wonderful ladies toward a more inclusive and sustainable future for all.

Become a Sponsor for AITC

Now entering its 25th year, the Annual American Indian Tourism Conference (AITC) is the only national conference dedicated to growing tourism in America’s indigenous communities.

Every year the conference attracts more than 300 attendees who attend for the networking opportunities, the high-level keynote sessions and the informative breakout sessions led by some of the leading hospitality industry experts. It’s an event that I look forward to each year and an opportunity for our sponsors to shine. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of AITC you can find the sponsor prospectus below.

Join us at Go International

AIANTA will host our annual two-day Go International Training Conference on April 18-19 at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, NM. This unique event is designed to introduce the international market to Tribes, Tribal businesses, and Native Hawaiian businesses and support participants to identify their tourism product(s) for pricing, packaging, and selling to markets overseas. At Go International, tribal tourism professionals, industry representatives and entrepreneurs will gather to:

• Hear from expert speakers from throughout the national and international tourism industry
• Connect and network with one another around shared vision and goals for business, Indian Country and tourism development
• Advance and develop their businesses, careers and tourism ventures
• Gain an understanding of what is needed and how to participate in international markets

I invite you to join us for this signature event as together we work to advance our AIANTA mission to define, introduce, grow and sustain American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian tourism that honors traditions and values.