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| Inter-Tribal Tourism Council | |
|---|---|
| Name | Inter-Tribal Tourism Council |
| Formation | 1984 |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Headquarters | Arizona |
| Region served | United States |
Inter-Tribal Tourism Council is a nonprofit organization founded to promote tourism development among Native American tribes in the United States. The Council works with tribal nations, federal agencies, state tourism offices, and private stakeholders to support cultural preservation, economic development, and destination marketing. It provides training, certification, and advocacy to tribes and tribal enterprises involved in hospitality, heritage sites, and events.
The Council was established amid regional and national efforts following meetings involving leaders from the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and Tohono O'odham Nation and in dialogue with agencies such as the Indian Health Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Park Service, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the U.S. Department of the Interior. Early conferences convened representatives from tribes like the Cherokee Nation, Crow Tribe, Blackfeet Nation, Nez Perce Tribe, and Lakota people alongside officials from the U.S. Travel Association, National Congress of American Indians, Smithsonian Institution, and Arizona Office of Tourism. Influential figures at founding gatherings included leaders connected to the American Indian Movement, scholars from Harvard University, University of Arizona, and Stanford University, and professionals from the American Association of Museums and Convention Industry Council. The Council grew through partnerships with organizations such as the World Tourism Organization, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Institute of American Indian Arts, and the City of Phoenix.
The Council's mission emphasizes supporting tribal sovereignty and self-determination through tourism initiatives aligned with the priorities of tribes like the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Yakama Nation, Ute Indian Tribe, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, and Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. Objectives include capacity-building with training curricula derived from collaborations with institutions such as Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Syracuse University, and Iowa State University Extension, and policy advocacy engaging the U.S. Congress, Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Park Service, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The Council also targets heritage tourism linked to sites like Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Mesa Verde National Park, Montezuma Castle National Monument, Pueblo Bonito, and Aztec Ruins National Monument.
Programming has included certification courses inspired by standards used by the American Hotel and Lodging Association, product development workshops partnering with Travel Oregon, Visit California, Nevada Commission on Tourism, and marketing initiatives akin to campaigns run by Brand USA and Visit Britain. Initiatives featured cultural etiquette seminars developed with museums such as the National Museum of the American Indian, research collaborations with the Smithsonian Institution, and grant-writing assistance tied to funding sources like the National Endowment for the Arts, Economic Development Administration, and Administration for Native Americans. The Council has organized trade shows and familiarization tours similar to events by the International Pow Wow, New York Times Travel Show, America's State Parks, and worked on digital projects echoing efforts by Google Arts & Culture and TripAdvisor.
Membership encompasses tribal nations, tribal enterprises, tribal tourism professionals, and allied organizations including the National Congress of American Indians, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, United South and Eastern Tribes, and municipal partners like the City of Albuquerque and City of Denver. Governance structures mirror nonprofit boards seen at institutions such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Association of Museums, with bylaws informed by legal counsel experienced with the Indian Child Welfare Act and federal statutes adjudicated by the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona and appeals in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Staff and advisors have included professionals with backgrounds from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Park Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, and academic appointments at University of New Mexico and Arizona State University.
The Council has collaborated with federal and state agencies like the National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Travel Association, National Endowment for the Humanities, U.S. Department of Commerce, Visit Arizona, Nevada Commission on Tourism, and tribal enterprises including the Mohegan Tribe and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. International exchanges have engaged organizations such as the World Tourism Organization and cultural institutions including the British Museum and Musée du quai Branly. Educational partnerships reached institutions like the Institute of American Indian Arts, University of Washington, University of Montana, Haskell Indian Nations University, and global tourism schools such as Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne. The Council also liaised with trade groups including the American Hotel and Lodging Association, Destination Marketing Association International, and advocacy networks like the National Congress of American Indians.
The Council influenced tourism development at tribal destinations including the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Badlands National Park, Yellowstone National Park (tribal partnerships), Glacier National Park (Blackfeet collaborations), and cultural events akin to the Gathering of Nations, Powwow, and regional festivals managed by tribes like the Pueblo of Taos and Navajo Nation Fair. Positive impacts cited mirror outcomes reported by studies from the Economic Development Administration and Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development in areas of job creation, cultural revitalization, and infrastructure. Controversies involved debates similar to disputes around commodification raised in scholarship from University of California, Berkeley, legal challenges paralleled in cases before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals regarding tribal trademarks and intellectual property, and tensions noted in consultations with the National Trust for Historic Preservation over archaeological site management. Critics referenced discussions found in journals associated with American Indian Quarterly, Journal of American History, and policy critiques from think tanks like the Brookings Institution.
Category:Native American tourism organizations