​BLM and AIANTA Partner to Promote Nevada Tribes Along the California National Historic Trail

The two national organizations will build a collaborative tourism program to showcase Northern Nevada Tribes along the trail.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is partnering with the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) to develop a cultural tourism program for tribes located along the Norther Nevada portion of the California National Historic Trail. The California National Historic Tail (CNHT) is part of the National Trail System, is administered by the National Park Service and passes though the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) managed lands in California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. In Nevada, the CNHT stretches across seven hundred miles of BLM managed land, with a California Trail Interpretive Center near Elko. The trail crosses traditional indigenous homelands that have been inhabited for over 10,000 years. Today, there are twenty-seven tribes, bands and colonies in Nevada, with twenty-five located in Northern and Central Nevada.  

“We are thrilled to commence this project with the Bureau of Land Management,” said Sherry L. Rupert, CEO of AIANTA, who formerly led the State of Nevada Indian Commission. “In tandem with our recently signed partnership with the National Park Service, and our ongoing work with tribes along the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail and the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, we are delighted to help shine the light on the tribal stories along the California National Historic Trail.”

 “This project is the beginning of important work that supports the NATIVE Act adjacent to one of our National Historic Trails in Nevada. Through diverse and transformational partnerships, BLM is excited to co-create projects like this that can help strengthen our tribal relationships and highlight economic opportunities for gateway communities.” Carin Farley, National Scenic and Historic Trails (Lead), Bureau of Land Management. 

During Phase One of the project, AIANTA is charged with developing an outreach program connecting tribal leadership, tribal tourism practitioners, elders, artists, youth and other cultural tourism representatives of the twenty-five tribes located in Northern Nevada to AIANTA’s tourism programming resources, including encouraging listings on the organization’s consumer website NativeAmerica.travel. This coordination will include BLM staff along the trail and is intended to strengthen the relationships between tribal communities and agency partners. The outreach will support a tourism program along the California Trail route that will encourage visitors to see and experience Northern Nevada Indian Country.

In subsequent phases, over a 3 year period, AIANTA will develop educational opportunities for tribes and agency staff, including regular training webinars, and continued outreach and collaboration with   tribal tourism and cultural professionals along the Trail.

 About AIANTA
For nearly two decades, the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) has served as the national center for providing tourism and recreational travel technical assistance, training and capacity building to American Indian nations. AIANTA is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit association of Native American tribes and tribal businesses and was incorporated in 2002 to advance Indian Country tourism. AIANTA’s mission is to define, introduce, grow and sustain American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian tourism that honors traditions and values.

About the BLM’s National Scenic and Historic Trails (NSHT) Program
The BLM’s National Scenic and Historic Trails (NSHT) Program connects people to the land, its natural and scenic wonders, the Nation’s heritage, and our diverse communities. The National Trails System (NTS) was enacted by congress in 1968. There are currently thirty national trails in the system that are administered and/or managed by the BLM, National Park Service, and/or U.S. Forest Service. Many of these trails were first Indigenous sacred landscapes, and they contain the stories of the ancient and present-day cultures. The BLM administers and manages NSHT’s through partnerships, community involvement, citizen action and agency commitment in over 100 BLM Field Office locations, 18 NSHTs on close to 6,000 miles of public lands in fifteen states. BLM is the sole Administrator for the Iditarod NHT and the Co-Administer with the National Park Service for the Old Spanish, and El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro NHT’s.

For more information and images, contact:
Monica Poling
Marketing & PR Manager, AIANTA

BLM Contact
Carin Farley
National Scenic and Historic Trails (Lead)
Bureau of Land Management
cfarley@blm.gov