This year, the GW International Institute of Tourism Studies was honored to work alongside Teqwuma as part of the State of Washington Tourism’s Indigenous Tourism Support Program—an initiative designed to strengthen tribally led visitor experiences across the state. Our collaboration focused on supporting Teqwuma’s vision to develop culturally grounded, community-led tourism offerings that reflect the living history, values, and homelands of the Nisqually people.
Over several months, our team worked closely with Teqwuma, Nisqually community members and Elders, and local tourism partners to help shape Nisqually-led visitor experiences rooted in relationships, respect, and stewardship. From site visits along the Nisqually River to conversations in the Longhouse, every stage of the project centered on lifting up Nisqually voices and ensuring that future tourism reflects the teachings, places, and priorities that matter most to the community.
The project unfolded in five phases—ranging from cultural asset research to market readiness assessments, product development studios, and community-based training. Through these sessions, participants articulated core Nisqually values—including relationality, generosity, caretaking of land and water, and the understanding that culture is active and alive today. These values shaped the development of three signature experiences: a cultural journey along the Nisqually River, a fall salmon fishing experience, and a ranch-based horseback program. Each itinerary blends education, storytelling, and land-based learning with opportunities for visitors to understand the deep cultural and ecological connections that define Nisqually identity.
In addition to product development, GW delivered training on operational readiness—supported by industry leader Tianna Yellow Hair (Tatanka Rez Tourz)—to help Teqwuma strengthen its systems for scheduling, safety, risk management, visitor engagement, and long-term sustainability. The final phase of the project transformed all community insights, itineraries, and values into polished content for Teqwuma’s future visitor-facing website.
While some final steps will continue into the coming year, the foundation for Nisqually-led tourism is now well established. The work completed through SWT’s Indigenous Tourism Support Program—and the commitment of Teqwuma, Nisqually community members, and regional partners—demonstrates what is possible when cultural tourism is led by community priorities, grounded in relationship, and shaped by the values of the people whose stories it represents.
We are grateful to Teqwuma and the Nisqually community for their leadership, generosity, and guidance throughout this process. We’re excited to see how Teqwuma brings these meaningful visitor experiences to life in the months ahead.
South Dakota’s new statewide Destination Development Program officially launched this year with a clear goal: to help rural communities create tourism experiences that strengthen local economies while improving quality of life for residents. Designed in partnership with Travel South Dakota, GW helped shape the program’s strategy, planning tools, and monitoring framework, and since August, not only have we provided programmatic support during the pilot phase, but we have also served as a hands-on facilitator for one of the participating communities.
Wessington Springs is one of the program’s first pilot destinations. Over the fall, our team supported its leaders, residents, and businesses through the product development phase, a collaborative process that brought community voices to the center of planning.
Two Site Visits, One Shared Vision
Our work in Wessington Springs centered on two in-person visits.
October Site Visit: We immersed ourselves in the community—walking the Old Grade Trail, exploring cultural and heritage landmarks, and hosting two workshops with residents and business owners. These conversations helped surface the town’s aspirations for tourism and clarify its strongest assets, including its glacial hills, creative spirit, and deep cultural heritage.
November Site Visit: We returned to lead a hands-on planning workshop where participants prioritized the most promising tourism products. Together, the community selected projects that reflect both its identity and the experiences visitors are seeking.
What the Community Chose to Develop
By the end of the planning phase, Wessington Springs had rallied around a set of high-impact tourism priorities:
A cultural heritage walking tour linking key historic and creative sites.
Heritage-focused weekend experiences, including one focused on western heritage and the arts to expand on the existing Kyle Evans Memorial Wagon Train
A coordinated tourism stewardship network to strengthen collaboration among local organizations.
Enhancements to the Old Grade Trail, transforming it into an anchor attraction that connects natural and cultural sites across the community.
These projects emerged from workshops with more than 80 community members, along with resident and business surveys that showed overwhelming enthusiasm for tourism development rooted in local heritage and outdoor recreation.
What Comes Next
In 2026, Wessington Springs will move into the implementation phase of the program. With seed funding and technical assistance funded by Travel South Dakota, the community will partner with a landscape architecture firm on a tourism design plan and begin developing both the stewardship network and the self-guided walking tour.
GW will continue supporting Travel South Dakota throughout the coming year, offering programmatic guidance and helping bring participating communities together to share lessons learned at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism.
As we look back and reflect on Native American Heritage Month, celebrated annually in November, we want to honor the depth, leadership, and living cultures of Indigenous Peoples in the United States—and continue to celebrate the ways Indigenous-led tourism continues to grow across the country. The month serves as a national moment of recognition, but for the GW International Institute of Tourism Studies (GW), it is also a reaffirmation of our commitment to supporting Indigenous-designed and driven tourism alongside our partners.
In the U.S., Native American Heritage Month reminds us that Indigenous stewardship, creativity, and sovereignty form an essential foundation of our shared future. As we look across our network, we see powerful examples of individuals who are shaping tourism on their own terms and strengthening cultural resilience. Here, we highlight a few stories that illustrate this momentum.
Honoring Youth Leadership: Jacob Brittingham
We are proud to celebrate Jacob Brittingham, recently featured in GW Today for his leadership as a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and as an advocate for Indigenous students at The George Washington University. In the university’s profile, Jacob reflects on the importance of living culture, language, and community—perspectives that deeply inform his work both on and beyond campus.
Jacob Brittingham (third from left) and other students alongside Seleni Matus (far right) at the Distiguished Indigenous Leaders Lecture Series in 2023.
A junior majoring in Political Science and Human Services & Social Justice, Jacob serves as president of Students for Indigenous and Native American Rights (SINAR), creating a vital space for Indigenous students in a non-Native urban environment.
We first met him in 2023 during the Indigenous Tourism Collaborative of the Americas Distinguished Indigenous Leaders Lecture Series, and it was immediately clear that his leadership and commitment to community aligned with the goals of our Indigenous tourism work. As a student research assistant, Jacob supported the extensive research for the Choctaw Nation’s Destination Stewardship Plan that we facilitated, bringing his lived experience and perspective to the work. His participation strengthened the project’s grounding in community voices and values.
Jacob’s recognition by GW Today affirms what we at the International Institute of Tourism Studies have long seen: he is a thoughtful youth leader whose commitment to his community guides everything he does. We’re incredibly proud of his achievements and grateful to support his continued journey.
Celebrating Innovation: Sarah Kills in Water and the JMK Innovation Prize
The South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance (SDNTA), represented by Sarah Kills in Water (Rosebud Sioux Tribe), was recently awarded the 2025 J.M.K. Innovation Prize—a national recognition honoring bold, early-stage solutions building a more just and sustainable future. The award highlights the SDNTA’s work to reclaim tourism as a pathway for local economic development, cultural resurgence, and youth empowerment.
In their award video, Sarah, SDNTA Board Member, and Rhea Waldman, PhD., SDNTA Executive Director, underscore a central truth: although South Dakota’s tourism economy generates over $5 billion annually, Native communities have historically been excluded from its benefits. SDNTA’s work aims to change that by aligning tourism development with Indigenous sovereignty, cultural revitalization, and long-term community well-being.
Sarah Kills in Water and the Sicangu Youth Council at the Wild12 Tour in 2024.
Youth leadership in tourism is a cornerstone of the initiative, and the prize will help further this focus. Sarah describes the inspiration behind this vision, recalling moments such as inviting the Sicangu Youth Council to share their story at Mato Paha (Bear Butte) during an SDNTA-organized tour—a powerful example of Indigenous tourism centering local voices rooted in land, culture, and lived experience. This experience motivated Sarah to explore ways to support cultural revitalization and youth entrepreneurship through tourism. She also acknowledges the persistent barriers facing Tribal tourism—from broadband gaps to transportation to accessible infrastructure—and frames SDNTA’s work as both visionary and practical: building systems that strengthen cultural continuity rather than erode it.
Sarah’s recognition through the J.M.K. Innovation Prize signals a broader shift in U.S. tourism: Indigenous-led, community-driven models are increasingly being acknowledged as essential to the industry’s future. We are truly honored to have helped form this alliance and to play a part in giving it lift. We celebrate Sarah, the SDNTA, and everyone advancing tourism that honors Indigenous places, sovereignty, and stories.
Tianna Yellow Hair: Sharing Expertise to Strengthen Indigenous Tourism in Washington
Last month, we also saw the impact of Tianna Yellow Hair, whose work continues to advance Indigenous-led tourism well beyond her home region. As a board member of the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance and co-owner of Tatanka Rez Tourz—the only Native-owned tour operator in South Dakota—Tianna brings extensive experience in building tourism systems rooted in Tribal values, community benefit, and cultural accountability.
That expertise guided her role in the State of Washington Tourism Indigenous Tourism Support Program, where, since February, GW has been working alongside the State of Washington Tourism and Teqwuma, a Nisqually-led nonprofit, to develop new Indigenous-led tourism experiences in the Nisqually region. Invited by GW to support the training component of this initiative, Tianna met with Teqwuma staff and Nisqually community members as they began shaping their own visitor experiences.
Tianna and Guss Yellow Hair training tour guides in South Dakota
Tianna led a full day of operational training grounded in the practical realities of developing and running Indigenous-led tours, drawing on her experience operating tours on the Pine Ridge Reservation and training tour guides in South Dakota. The session developed into an open exchange as community members asked questions and explored how operational systems used in other Tribal Nations could similarly support Nisqually-led tourism.
We’re deeply grateful for Tianna’s ongoing work and her willingness to share her experience with Tribal communities beyond South Dakota. Her support reflects the kind of connection and reciprocity that strengthens Indigenous-led tourism across regions. We’re honored to work alongside her and appreciative of the leadership she brings to every space she’s part of.
Looking Ahead
Native American Heritage Month centers the histories, innovations, and leadership of Indigenous Peoples in the U.S. Yet the stories above also remind us that these efforts are strengthened by the connections across regions—from youth leadership at GW, to innovation in South Dakota, to knowledge-sharing between Tribal Nations like Tianna’s recent work with the Nisqually community. Together, they point to a broader movement of Indigenous-led tourism shaped by shared learning, sovereignty, and community-driven design.
At GW, we remain committed to supporting Indigenous-led approaches that honor sovereignty, strengthen community well-being, and open pathways for the next generation of leaders. We look forward to continuing this work—with gratitude for all our partners throughout the country whose leadership guides the way.
