The Rupert Report

From the Desk of AIANTA's CEO | March 27, 2023

AIANTA staff pictured to Tony Manfredi, Executive Director, Nevada Arts Council

AIANTA Highlights for the Coming Week

Success at Nevada's 2023 Tribal Tourism Conference!

From left to right: Sherry L. Rupert, AIANTA CEO; Tammi Tiger, Commissioner, Nevada Indian Commission; Aletha Tom, Former Chairwoman of Moapa Band of Paiutes; and Amber Torres, Walker River Paiute Tribal Citizen

The Nevada's 2023 Tribal Tourism Conference was an enormous success for the Indigenous communities that call the Great Basin home. The conference was a partnership between AIANTA and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for the state’s tribal communities that border the California Trail. Other partners included Nevada’s Indian Territory and the Nevada Indian Commission. The event brought together Tribal leaders and stakeholders from Nevada's federally recognized tribes to discuss ways in which cultural tourism can be enhanced and expanded. One of the primary goals of the conference was to bring awareness to the opportunities and resources for this growing segment of the tourism industry. By increasing visitation to tribal destinations, tribes are able to diversify revenue which can be reinvested in programming and infrastructure. Cultural tourism has the potential to greatly benefit not only the tribal communities, but the state of Nevada as a whole. Tribal leaders and representatives were able to connect with each other, with industry professionals and state and federal partners, learning from each other's experiences and of available resources. The conference has the potential to lead to innovative partnerships and new opportunities for cultural tourism. In addition to economic benefits, cultural tourism can also serve as a means for cultural preservation and education.

AIANTA Town Hall: SMS Research Findings for Technical Assistance Needed in American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Tourism Organizations

April 12, 2023 1:00 p.m. (Mountain)

On behalf of AIANTA, SMS Research conducted a study to identify where technical assistance is needed to empower Indian Tribes, Tribal Organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations to participate fully in the tourism industry and to provide recommendations on coordination and delivery of technical assistance (TA). In this session, SMS will share the findings of the study including the areas in which technical assistance, training, and resources are needed to support cultural tourism development. 

The study, funded by NATIVE Act funds, identified nine critical TA needs among Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian tourism organizations. The first four address foundational business training and the other five focus on developing organizational capacity in tourism marketing and cultural tourism development. 

AITC Call for Speakers!

AIANTA is now accepting speaker proposals for breakout sessions during the 25th Annual American Indian Tourism Conference (AITC) held October 2-5, 2023 and hosted by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma at the Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant. More than 300 tourism professionals, including tribal professionals, Native American entrepreneurs, federal, regional and national experts gather at AITC to participate in education sessions, attend an array of events, network, connect with potential partners in the exhibit hall and patronize Native American artisans.

The submission application and guidelines can be found below or on the AIANTA website.

Join us at Go International

AIANTA offers the annual two-day Go International training conference, 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.

Tribal tourism professionals, industry representatives and entrepreneurs 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

AIANTA is Presenting at RES 2023!

I will be moderating a session at this year’s Reservation Economic Summit (RES) 2023. The session entitled "Enhancing Native Food Sovereignty through Native Agritourism" will showcase the expertise of AIANTA’s Agritourism Specialist, Kelli Hepler and Diné chef Freddie Bitsoie, who wrote the cookbook New Native Kitchens. Native agritourism has the potential to enhance Native food sovereignty by increasing access to traditional foods. In many Native communities, access to traditional foods has been threatened by factors such as climate change, land degradation, and economic pressures. Developing Native agritourism can help to counteract these trends by supporting local food systems and creating new opportunities for the production and distribution of traditional foods. For example, Native agritourism can provide a venue for farmers to sell their crops directly to consumers, bypassing the need for costly intermediaries and reducing food waste. We look forward to sharing more potential benefits of Native Agritourism at RES 2023!