Desert View Interpretive Project Sparks Inspiration
AIANTA, Blackfeet Nation and State of Montana recently came together in historic tribal tourism meetings at Grand Canyon National Park.
AIANTA Public Lands Partnerships Program Manager Aimee Awonohopay has just returned from the Grand Canyon National Park, where she was hosting the Blackfeet Tribe and State of Montana government. Here, AIANTA showcased the great collaboration and first voice interpretation project at the Desert View Watchtower and Visitor Area. The group drew inspiration from the visit and was able to learn more about how the partnership came to be, and how the project has progressed.
Throughout the week, the group also met with the Hopi Tribe and learned about their tremendous success harnessing visitors to the Grand Circle and the resulting economic development that has decreased the tribe’s unemployment rate, which at one point was at 50%.
See the below images for more information about the productive week sharing and discussing the many opportunities presented by tribal tourism!
Blackfeet Nation and State of Montana dignitaries meet with Grand Canyon National Park Desert View project managers
Montana Indian Country Programs staff tour the historic Desert View Watchtower and learn about restoration and artist programming made possible through AIANTA securing a $500,000 ArtPlace America grant for Desert View and the interpretive project.
The full group learning about the tribal impact of Desert View with members of the Inter-tribal Advisory Council. The council is comprised of the 11 Grand Canyon tribes.
A Warm Thank You to Our Partners
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Native American Agriculture Fund
Bureau of Land Management
National Park Service
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail
Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
NativeAmerica.Travel
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Technical assistance and training is the heartbeat of our work at AIANTA. We provide general and tailored technical assistance, training and education in a variety of ways.
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AIANTA plays a critical role in supporting the National Travel and Tourism Strategy to bring more visitors to the United States, especially in our participation at trade shows internationally and domestically, to promote tourism in Indian Country.
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