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GW International Institute of Tourism Studies Celebrates Native American Heritage Month

amandareiserNovember 30, 2022November 30, 2022Leave a comment

The George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies (GW IITS) celebrates big news this month. Our ongoing facilitation of the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance makes us especially proud to announce that Alliance members Tiana and Guss Yellowhair were recently presented the “Excellence in Customer Service” Award from the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA).

We are also celebrating the addition of Ed Hall to the GW IITS team as the Indigenous Tourism and Economic Development Executive in Residence.

*Guss and Tiana Yellowhair at the AIANTA Excellence in Tourism Awards. Photo from the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance*

The Yellowhair father and daughter, Guss and Tiana, own Tatanka Rez Tourz on the Pine Ridge Reservation, established in collaboration and partnership with many local, regional and national Native organizations. At the 2022 AIANTA conference, the Yellowhairs were cited for their “Excellence in Customer Service”, an award commending their work providing authentic Native tour experiences to visitors while educating them about Native issues.

Takanka Rez Tourz connects visitors with the Lakota language and culture and provides past and present history of the reservation. “A lot of hard work and long days went into this business in order to share knowledge, build bridges and carry-on the traditions and practices of everyday Lakota teachings,” said Gus Yellowhair to the Lakota Times.

Tanka Rez Tourz provides male, female, elder and youth perspectives. The Yellowhair team make visitors feel welcomed and at home and introduces them to etiquette that best respects Native communities.

As artists, Guss (a traditional hide drum-maker) and Tianna (an illustrator) share their work and invite local artists and performers to showcase their talents–singing, dancing, speaking, performing or storytelling. Visitors experience Lakota artistry firsthand.

GW IITS treasures their partnership in the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance and applauds their exemplary business model and excellence in customer service.

We are also celebrating the addition of Ed Hall as Indigenous Tourism and Economic Development Executive in Residence. Ed’s distinguished background in Indigenous tourism includes three decades of experience at the U.S Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), including more than two decades as BIA Tourism Coordinator. Ed has spearheaded innumerable initiatives that continue to have major positive impacts in Indigenous tourism.

He established a permanent tribal presence in the National Academy of Science Transportation Research Board, which led to the Inter-tribal Transportation Association, an arm of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). That series of events helped raise Indian roads funding levels from $100 million in 1992 to more than $550 million in 2021.

Ed helped write and guide the Native American Tourism Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act, a law designed to increase American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian capacity for tourism. Ed was also lead staff for the U.S. Department of Interior in the implementation of the NATIVE Act, which has been subsequently funded annually since 2018.

Ed’s work has ensured that tribal groups are included in U.S. agency programs and discussions. He created the tribal outreach program for the National Scenic Byways America’s Byways Resource Center, and was instrumental in establishing the American Indian Tourism Conference in 1998 which led to the formation of American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA). He represented the BIA in the creation of the Tribal Technical Assistance Program for the Federal Highways Administration and contributed to the incorporation of Indian Country into Lewis and Clark Bicentennial and Sesquicentennial of the Civil War commemorations. A speech Ed gave on U.S. tribal tourism at the Organization of American States (OAS) Ministerial on tourism in Lima, Peru, led to a collaboration between OAS, the Office of Indian Economic Development (OIED) and GW IITS and the creation of the Indigenous Tourism Forum of the Americas and the Indigenous Tourism Collaborative of the Americas.

In addition to his new role for GW, Ed serves on the Executive Council of the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance (NAFSA), is an Advisory Board Member for Travel Unity, is the President of the Carlisle Indian School Project Board of Directors, and is on the Advisory Board of the Anne Marie Deruyttere Indigenous Peoples Foundation.

This Native Heritage Month, we proudly celebrate the accomplishments of Guss and Tianna Yellowhair and the talents and vision of Ed Hall, whose commitment to building Indigenous community capacity, amplifying Indigenous voices, and creating positive change will lift GW IITS efforts to promote, develop, and sustain Indigenous tourism.

The Dakotas Create Culturally-Rich Visitor Tour with Help from the GW International Institute of Tourism Studies

amandareiserNovember 15, 2022November 15, 2022Leave a comment

Indigenous people living in the Great Plains, Black Hills, and Badlands have recently developed a new one-of-a-kind Dakotas tour and are excited to be able to welcome visitors and share their history and culture. Destination America, in partnership with the South and North Dakota Tribal Nations, South Dakota Department of Tourism, and the George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies (GW IITS), has created and will offer a nine day cultural tour of tribal lands in the Dakotas starting in Spring 2023. This tour, called “National Parks and Native Trails of the Dakotas,” is a fascinating journey through South and North Dakota. Travelers can take the tour from May through August in a 20-30 person coach.

Creating the tour took intense collaboration, time, and testing. The tour is designed to delight visitors in meaningful Indigenous tribal experiences, support local Native American communities and allow tribes to share their culture, history and legacy in their own ways through the powerful incorporation of storytelling.

GW IITS supported the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance (SDNTA) and North Dakota Native Tourism Alliance (NDNTA) during the tour planning process which included a familiarization (FAM) tour for Destination America, in-person product development workshops, and a test run of Destination America’s multi-day tour.

*Visitors learn about the geography and culture at Pine Ridge Reservation*

Tour development began back in July 2021 with the FAM tour showcasing tourism sites and attractions in South and North Dakotas that could be included in a tour itinerary. Sites included the Lakota Youth Development Initiative and many points of interest on Pine Ridge, Rosebud and Standing Rock Reservations, as well as the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. The FAM tour was led by SDNTA and NDNTA members.. GW IITS’ participation during the FAM tour helped identify technical assistance needs for development, pricing and successful operation of the new tour.

*A guide presents stories and history at the Sitting Bull Visitor Center*

GW IITS held in-person product development studio workshops and training sessions in November 2021 for each tribal nation and native organization contributing to the developing tour. Tribal participants were guided in creating engaging itineraries that are profitably priced. At the workshop’s conclusion, all the tribes and organizations were ready to submit their tour packages–itineraries and prices–to Destination America.

*Visitors got a hands-on approach to learn about Native culture during the Oglala Lakota Living History Village Tour*

The final step of the tour development process was a test tour of the multi-day itinerary. In July 2022, GW IITS and the SD Department of Tourism co-hosted a four-day test evaluating the tribal components of the upcoming tour. Planned stops in national parks and monuments were not included in the test. The twenty test participants were a mix of tour operators, marketers, guides, and SDNTA members who provided practical feedback on touring sites on the Pine Ridge Reservation, Rosebud Reservation, the Lakota Youth Development Camp in Milks Camp, and the Sitting Bull Visitor Center in Standing Rock Nation. Activities included storytelling performances, a traditional native food tasting of dishes made with fresh produce, a Native tea demonstration and touring a living history village, cultural heritage museums and art galleries.

Traditional Native food was served for lunch at the Lakota Youth Development Tour

Rated a great success, the test tour gave tour providers valuable practical insights and guidance and allowed tour providers and operators to strengthen their developing relationships.

The National Parks and Native Trails of the Dakotas tour launches to great fanfare in the Spring of 2023. Proud participants GW IITS, SDNTA, NDNTA, Destination America, and participating tribes and national parks are all excited to share the first-of-its-kind tour with curious travelers.

For more information about this tour, visit the tour package from Destination America here: https://www.trafalgar.com/en-au/tours/national-parks-and-native-trails-of-the-dakotas

It was all smiles during the FAM tour at the Rosebud Reservation

A FEW WORDS FROM SPEAKERS AT THE INDIGENOUS TOURISM FORUM OF THE AMERICAS

GW IITSOctober 28, 2020December 21, 2020Leave a comment

The first-ever Indigenous Tourism Forum of the Americas kicked off on Indigenous People’s Day and brought together key leaders and stakeholders in the development and promotion of Indigenous Tourism across the Americas. Though our speakers and 241 attendees connected online instead of in-person, the dialogue, engagement, and passion for sustainable tourism development in Indigenous communities was palpable.

With many talented and experienced speakers present, several well-articulated key themes emerged from the conference.

THE POWER AND IMPORTANCE OF INDIGENOUS TOURISM

Resilience, Leadership, and Reframing the Conversation Around Indigenous Tourism

Seleni Matus, Executive Director, George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies

"COVID has called on all of us to draw on our resources for resilience. Who embodies this quality more than Indigenous people? Despite the odds, here you are to tell and share your stories, to teach, to learn, to listen and ultimately, to lead. We have new opportunities to reframe the conversation around Indigenous development and tourism."

Tourism as a Form of Intellectual Empowerment

Mark Cruz (Klamath), Deputy Assistant Secretary Policy & Economic Development, Office of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior

"We as Indigenous people have our own stories, art, foods and histories. Through tourism we are able to share aspects of our culture and to do so on our own terms."

Indigenous Tourism will be Key in Mexico’s Recovery

Honorable Miguel Torruco, Secretary of Tourism, Secretariat of Tourism, Mexico and Chair, Inter-American Committee on Tourism (CITUR), Organization of American States

"Mexico has a historic opportunity to dignify their Indigenous communities that for a long time have been outsiders in the national development and quality of life. After COVID, tourists will prefer to visit smaller areas with nature. As the historic guardians of our mother earth, Indigenous people will play a key role in reactivation of tourism in Mexico and in the world."

Indigenous Tourism Engages Visitors on a Fundamental Level

Brian Vallo, Governor, Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico, USA

"Tourism engages people. It also connects us to the places and spaces that make up the cultural fabric of our Mother Earth. It is no surprise that Indigenous peoples of the world are engaged in this industry. After all we know the history, we know the landscape and many of the cultural attractions remain a part of our own connections in this time."

Food is Life: Indigenous Cuisine Anchors Indigenous Tourism

Loretta Barrett Oden (Potawatomi), Host of Seasoned with Spirit, USA

"Food is the key to who we are as Indigenous people. Food connects us to our trade roots, in our stories, songs and ceremonies."

KEYS TO SUCCESS FOR INDIGENOUS TOURISM

Taking Ownership of Tourism Enterprise

Ben Sherman (Oglala Lakota Sioux), Chairman, World Indigenous Tourism Alliance, USA

"It is extremely important that indigenous people have ownership of the tourism enterprise. We have seen foreign owners who have taken the profits for themselves. Then, Indigenous people must develop their own knowledge base of tourism and business."

Tourists Want Indigenous Tourism but Research and Resources are Lacking

Keith Henry (Métis), President and Chief Executive Officer, Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, CanadaImage

"We know visitors want Indigenous Tourism. It is as high as one in three visitors asking (for) Indigenous tourism. But in our country, there is a disparity between the visitor demand and the resources invested in Indigenous tourism. There is just not enough research done on Indigenous tourism and policymakers don’t want to invest in this research, and they support what they know how to support."

By, Not About: Owning the Narrative to Develop Authentic Experiences

Teresa Ryder (Musqueam), Director of Business Development, Canada, Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada

"Indigenous tourism is BY Indigenous Peoples, not about Indigenous Peoples. It is a first-person perspective as an Indigenous person and that is what the tourist is looking for as well. Authenticity and a first-hand perspective, ownership of the narrative, personal connection, unique experiences and positive economic benefit are key to developing authentic Indigenous tourism experiences. "

Tips for Growing Indigenous Tourism

Kevin Eshkawkogan (Anishnabek), President and Chief Executive Officer, Indigenous Tourism Ontario, Canada

Pillars of Tourism

"Build your tourism in four directions or four pillars. Those pillars are cultural integrity guidelines, marketing and branding, product development, and labor support and training. You need to build on all four of those elements to build the industry in whatever region you are in. We also needed different partners supporting us like Indigenous tourism businesses."

Four Tips

Tell your story on your terms. We are the messengers and we are the ones who have been living on this land for thousands of years.
We need to rely on industry experts. We can’t do this alone. Whether they are Indigenous or non-Indigenous, we need to work with them. People want to help us.
Be a good neighbor. Look at our neighbors and see who their needs and wants are. We might be able to offer something complimentary. Tourism is not meant to be done alone.
Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate. We need to work with whoever is willing to help us advance our agenda. It needs to be done on our terms in a mutually beneficial way.

RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY IN THE FACE OF COVID-19

Travel Trends Provide Opportunities for Indigenous Communities

Keith Henry (Métis), President and Chief Executive Officer, Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, CanadaImage

"Instead of focusing on where to go in 2021, we’re focusing on how we want to travel in 2021. We’ve identified five key trends that we foresee for next year. These trends present a great opportunity for Indigenous Tourism in many communities."

Key Trends

People want to go slower and have more immersive trips. They will be taking in fewer destinations and spending more time in each destination.
People want to go to the wild away from large urban city centers and go into the countryside and in nature. Many of the Indigenous communities we work with are located in remote destinations so we think that is another opportunity.
People will want to go on human-powered activities like trekking and biking.
Next is regenerative travel. It is not just about going to a destination and making sure we don’t have a negative impact, but we are making sure we have a positive impact.
Above everything, safety is a top priority.

Pivot in the Face of Adversity

Carla George (Squamish), Council Member, Squamish Nation, Canada

"When COVID-19 hit, Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Center staff decided to pivot and look at regalia making, dances, and other activities. They were able to take a step back and think about how to improve our organization post-COVID."

Adapting National and State Protocols to Meet the Practical Needs of Indigenous People

Roman Caamal Coh (Maya), President, Network of Community-Based Indigenous Tourism Businesses in Quintana Roo, Mexico

"We have created a semi-insular alliance to redesign our own safety and health protocols. The protocols that have come from the national or state level are very technical and it is hard for the community to implement them. So, we have redesigned them so they can be implemented in accordance with the new reality we are seeing. The communities are working with partners like local leaders and academia to help implement these new protocols."

Supporting Indigenous Tourism Communities Now

Carla James (Akawaio), Director, Guyana Tourism Authority, Guyana

"We are able to give support to Indigenous communities in the tourism value chain. That included helping them change their marketing messages to keep travelers informed on what they are doing and what is happening at their property. We have also provided training in marketing, and more recently hygiene and sanitation protocols that were developed by the Guyana Tourism Authority and aligns with UNWTO protocols. We have also been able to provide small grants for businesses to acquire hygiene and sanitation supplies that are needed in preparation for reopening. "

Seizing Opportunities to Build Strength and Resilience

Honorable Morena Valdez, Minister of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism, El Salvador

"We're working on strengthening our institutional structure. We need to work alongside the Ministries of Culture to preserve the intangible culture like dance because we don't work in isolation. COVID-19 has given us the opportunity to strengthen our work on tourism with Indigenous governments, and we have a new plan."

For more information about the Indigenous Tourism Forum of the Americas, please visit the forum website and scroll down on the Home page to join the mailing list and stay up to date with news and events. Also, be sure to subscribe to the Indigenous Tourism Forum of the Americas Youtube channel where videos from the forum will be uploaded.

TRIBES JOIN FORCES TO DEVELOP CULTURAL HERITAGE TOURISM

GW IITSNovember 18, 2019November 18, 2019Leave a comment

From cultural and historical sites, to parks and preserves to pow wows and traditional festivals, North and South Dakota are rich in opportunities for visitors seeking to experience Native American places and ways of life.

While in general, a growing interest in authentic and cultural heritage travel is fueling an uptick in Indigenous tourism, many tribes and communities throughout the US are not yet convinced of tourism’s potential benefits, which go well beyond economic development.

As Seleni Matus, Executive Director of the George Washington University’s International Institute of Tourism Studies explains, “We know that tourism is often the most promising way for many Indigenous communities to generate income while giving these groups the financial capability to protect their lands and cultural traditions.”

Three years ago, the Masters of Tourism Administration students, under the auspices of the International Institute of Tourism Studies, helped to establish the North Dakota Native Tourism Alliance. The idea was to bring together the state’s five Indian Nations—the Sisseton Wahpeton, Standing Rock, Mandan-Hidatsa-Arikara, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and Spirit Lake— to collaboratively design tourism opportunities and develop their own individual strategies around cultural heritage tourism.

While the project, developed with support from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development and Division of Transportation, is building the capacity for tourism and economic development generally, this year’s focus in particular has been on developing actual tourism products and experiences that will appeal to visitors from the US, Europe and Asia. For example, these include pow wows, visits with community elders and interpretive tours of historic and cultural sites.

In addition to working with community leaders to identify and develop products and experiences, the IITS team is helping tribes to establish pricing, market their products and train guides and interpreters. They’re also identifying tour operators and potential entrepreneurs interested in working with the tribes. And, also as part of the project, the GW teams helping to strengthen micro-enterprises, including those owned and operated by local artisans, storytellers and dancers.

“The International Institute of Tourism Studies (IITS) has been an instrumental partner, helping to inform and shape our program design and delivery,” explains Ed Hall, Tourism Coordinator at the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. They designed the approach now used in our work in the Dakotas to create long-term investment in sustainable cultural tourism development for tribal communities. Our partnership provides graduate students with an opportunity to work in tribal communities and share their expertise while learning from the communities themselves. The project works with state representatives to identify existing resources, which can support tribal capacity building and facilitates coordination and access to these various resources, while identifying gaps or barriers that require additional support. Ultimately, however, it is the sovereign tribal nations and communities that must control their own tourism efforts and deliver products and experiences that are authentic to their own cultures and traditions.”

This year, the Institute expanded its reach to South Dakota, where it’s working with nine federally recognized tribes. Stakeholder meetings to establish the projects have been well received by the South Dakota Department of Tourism as well as officials including David Flute, Secretary of Tribal Affairs and Jim Hagan, Secretary of Tourism, both of whom attended recent gatherings. State representatives Senator Red Dawn Foster, Representative Shawn Bordeaux, and Representative Tamara St. John, all of whom are Native American, have also been attending meetings and publically endorsing our work.

In South Dakota, the initial goal is to develop a regional tourism strategy and build a regional alliance, similar to the approach taken in North Dakota. For now, the group is focused on addressing several challenges inherent to the state, including the concentration of tourism attractions in and around Rapid City and the Badlands National Park and the general lack of connectivity between these areas and the tribal nations.

Participants at recent meetings expressed their hope that tourism would be the vehicle to reestablish connections and reunite the Oceti Sakowin, the People of the Seven Council Fires. Until the arrival of trappers and settlers during the 1600s, these bands of the Sioux were united by language and kinship.

As meeting attendee Randy Ross, from the Alliance of Tribal Tourism Advocates said, "Tourism isn't just about money. It can make light and open a path to knowledge. Then, our future generations will have a place to hang their hat on. They will have a legacy. Tourism is a vehicle to humanity.”

Kansas Middletent from the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe added that, “This initiative is important in so many ways but overall, it allows us to control our narrative. We get to share our way of life through our own lens, our own perspective, that often isn’t told to in fullness or in truth.”

To explore the ways in which tourism can drive opportunity and contribute to a better quality of life for Indigenous communities, the Organization of American States and the George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies, in collaboration with the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, are organizing a two-day Indigenous Tourism Forum of the Americas scheduled for March 17^th to 18^th, 2020 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Visit the forum website to learn more and register.

PUTTING THE ALASKAN TRIBE OF CHICKALOON’S NATIVE VILLAGE ON THE TOURIST MAP

GW IITSJanuary 10, 2019January 17, 2019Leave a comment

Eager to see bears, moose and wolves in the wild, walk on a glacier or hike in the majestic Talkeetna and Chugach mountains, visitors to south central Alaska routinely drive right by the small communities in the traditional territory of Chickaloon Native Village. Jessica Winnestaffer is determined to change that. The tribal biologist and Environmental Stewardship Director wants to put Chickaloon Village squarely on the radar of tourists, and to do so, she recently launched a tribal initiative that she describes as still in its infancy. To nurture it along, she enrolled in the Cultural Heritage Tourism Professional Certificate Program, jointly offered by the International Institute of Tourism Studies and the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association. The six-week, self-managed program is designed to provide tourism entrepreneurs and community leaders with the tools to identify and develop local assets that would most appeal to tourists—from cooking and crafts workshops to nature walks to historical sites.

For rural communities like those around Chickaloon Village, which once relied heavily on coal mining, tourism can provide both an alternative source of income to toxic extractive industries and a huge incentive to protect cultural and natural resources.

The cultural fabric of Chickaloon ’s and the Ahtna people was severely fractured over many years by government attempts at assimilation. Between the late 19^th and early mid 20^th centuries, native Indigenous children across the country, including Alaska, were taken from their families and sent to boarding schools, where they were forced to speak English and severely punished for stop speaking their languages and practicing their customs. Winnestaffer believes that tourism can help to heal the community’s painful history, instill a communal sense of pride and generate revenue.

Today, only a handful of community members speak Ahtna, which they learned as a second language. The last surviving Chickaloon Ahtna speaker— the Elder Katherine “Katie” Wade, who learned the language from her grandparents— died in 2009.

Children of the community may attend the only tribally-operated school in Alaska, where they learn Ya Ne Dah Ah, which means “our ancient teachings.” These teachings include lessons in culture, history, language, storytelling, sewing, beading, fishing and hunting. Winnestaffer would like to share some of them with visitors.

While she’s a scientist by training and new to tourism, Winnestaffer is proficient in securing grants. Before taking the GW courses, she’d already applied for and received funds to train five Ahtna Cultural Tour Guides, including several young people between 17 and 25. While the grant covered their salaries and training, she needed guidance to better understand what a professionally run tourism program entails—how to identify, develop and promote the assets and activities that most appeal to visitors, how to manage local and small businesses, and how convince community members—many of whom tend to be wary at first—of the benefits of hosting tourists.

“For a novice like me, the GW program provided a good introduction. I particularly appreciated the cultural focus,” reflected Winnestaffer. “Rather than tourism generally, which is what’s usually available, the courses addressed issues that were of specific relevance to tribes and heritage tourism.”

While she found that courses included participants who, like her, were still early in their journeys, it was inspiring to hear about the experiences of individuals who were further along. In fact the networking aspect of the program was especially worthwhile for her. “It was so valuable to learn about who’s doing what and to have their contact information,” she explained.

Winnestaffer found that the material was well-organized, presentations were easy to follow and the topics covered addressed her concerns. “Because the lessons were pre-recorded, the instructors could really plan their lectures and I appreciated that,” praised Winnestaffer.

She did find, however, that because participants were varied in their level of expertise, some of the information, particularly around marketing, was advanced. “But that doesn’t mean I didn’t find it worthwhile,” she noted. “It helped me to understand what I’d need to know as we further develop our tourism program.”

Winnestaffer’s next step is to conduct a cultural tourism assessment—a concept that was brand new to her just a few weeks ago. “I have a toolkit and I understand how to use it,” she offered with obvious enthusiasm. “Now I’m thinking about how best and most strategically to approach this next phase of the work.”

Given Winnestaffer’s thoughtfulness and commitment to the task, there’s little doubt that before long many of the tourists who make their way up the Glenn Highway between Anchorage and Glennallen each summer will soon be stopping off to explore the cultural heritage of Chickaloon Native Village.

For more information on the certificate program in cultural heritage tourism, please email culturaltourism@gwu.edu or visit our website.