How does tribal tourism affect

Native Americans in the US?

By Merritt Fish, Kaylan Berry, Sofia de la Morena and Mary Frances
Kocurek
How Native Tourism Increases Awareness (Merritt)
Egerstrom, Lee. NATIVE Act aims to Promote Native Tourism. The Circle: Native American News and Art. 03
November 2016, http://thecirclenews.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1401. Accessed
08 February 2017.

This bill will empower Native communities to tell their

own stories and build their own economic
opportunities, Schatz said when it passed the Senate.

Though tourism is a main source of income for Natives,

they also hope that tourists will learn more about their
culture
One state tourism study estimated the yearly economic
impact of visitors to Arizonas tribal lands is roughly $391
million (Dominguez).
How Tourism Increases Awareness Cont (Merritt)
Egerstrom in the article NATIVE Act aims to Promote Native Tourism, analyzes the effect of
President Obamas passage of the Native Act, in hopes that it will promote economic development
due to tourism. Egerstrom supports his analysis by explaining how tribes like the Ojibwe hope
that tourism will increase, in order to spread cultural curiosity. The authors purpose is to inform
tourists that tourism is, in fact, welcomed and encouraged by Native American tribes. Egerstrom
writes in a sincere tone for tourists in hopes that tourism will teach travelers more about Native
culture, all while improving economic conditions for Native Americans.
This source was useful in furthering my understanding by providing a specific example of a
Native American Tribe, the Ojibwe, which encourages tourism. In addition, I found it interesting
that Obama passed this act, which further shows how the government wants to increase tourism
in order to build their economic opportunities. We used this knowledge and applied it to our
product by telling the children that tourism, despite what most think, positively affects Natives.
When the father in the story gives the children their Micky Mouse shirt, it represents the tourism
increasing Natives salary.
How to be a Tourist (Mary Frances)
Cotter. In-Between Tourist and Native. WordPress, 24 April 2013,
https://cottam0.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/in-between-tourist-and-native/. Accessed 8 Feb 2017.

Compared to the tourists who visit the reservation because they

think it is trendy or cool, our class is genuinely interested in
gaining more knowledge about Native American cultures. I took
this class because I found Native Americans interesting and
because I wanted to know more about their way of life. In this
way, I want to use my knowledge in order to form my own
opinions about important issues that affect both Natives and
Non-Native Americans and to contribute to the discussion and
search for possible solutions to these problems. Overall, I want to
be better informed and more prepared to help this group of
people fight for what they deserve.
How to be a Tourist Continued (Mary Frances)
Allison Cotter, in the report In-Between Tourist and Native suggests there is a correct and respectful
way to be a tourist. Cotter supports her suggestion by summarizing a personal experience as a tourist. She
shares that she felt that locals saw her as a loud, annoying tourist, and thinks that this is present in the
minds of Natives who live on reservations with touristic industries. She encourages the reader to look into
the history and traditions of the culture. The authors purpose is to recommend a way to be a tourist and to
still respect the natives. She encourages the reader to ask questions about history and stories within the
tribe instead of just being a consumer so that the Natives feel they are fully supported and not being
stereotyped. The author writes in a hopeful tone for travelers wanting to immerse themselves in a new and
interesting culture.
This source was useful in developing our understanding because it presented another culprit for the
harmful effects of tourism, the tourists themselves. However, it also introduces the idea that it is through
awareness and genuine interest, rather than believing it is trendy or cool that tourists can help make
tourism beneficial for they can be better informed and more prepared to help this group of people. We
applied this idea to our thesis by a part of the concession, for it is only through the respect of the visitors
that Indians can go from simply being looked at, to being heard.
Journalists View (Kaylan)
Estelli, Smith M. Tourism and Native Americans - 6.3. Cultural Survival, Sept. 1982,
www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/tourism-and-native-americans-63 . Accessed 5 Feb. 2017.

Tourism need not have the detrimental effects

that so often accompany it. North American Indian
communities' successes and failures with tourism
suggest that, given time to prepare adequately and
to control as well as to monitor at the local level,
tourism can be beneficial.
Journalists View Continued (Kaylan)
Estelli M. Smith in the article, Tourism and Native Americans argues that tourism harms the Native
Americans living within the tourist area. Smith supports his argument by analyzing the different elements of
tourism, and seeing how they affect the natives. For example, they analyzed that Native Americans have
become so dependent on tourism, that they cannot eliminate it, showing that the presence of tourism has
harmed the lives of these people and rid them of their culture. The authors purpose is to propose the
negative effects of tourism, so that people can reduce or even eliminate those problems. The author writes
in a stern tone for the readers of their magazine.
This article helped further our understanding about Tribal Tourism because it presented both benefits
and harms in an unbiased manner, ultimately siding with the benefits. By suggesting that tourism need not
have the detrimental effects that so often accompany it, Smith was able to change our perspective on the
issue, making us realize that the harms dont outweigh the good, as we originally thought they did. Even if
tourism can change native culture, this can be prevented through the taking of measures, not the banning of
the whole industry. In creating our product, this knowledge contributed with the development of the thesis,
and gave us a positive resolution to our story.
 The Destructive Effect of Tourism (Sofia)
Kranstover, Grace. Deteriorating Cultures: The Destructive Effects of Tribal Tourism.
Council on Hemispheric Affairs, 22 July 2014,
http://www.coha.org/deteriorating-cultures-the-destructive-effects-of-tribal-tourism/.
Accessed on 3 Feb. 2017.

The social consequences of tribal tourism are

more detrimental than beneficial. In regions where
tribal tourism has become especially popular, the
cultures of some indigenous villages have undergone
changes that have turned some important spiritual
rituals into spectacles.
 The Destructive Effect of Tourism Continued (Sofia)
Grace Kranstover, in the article Deteriorating Cultures: The Destructive Effects of Tribal Tourism
asserts that tourism is often unethical and harmful to native American cultures across the Americas since it
can force tribes out of isolation, degrade the meaning of their traditions, and isnt properly overviewed by
government institutions. Kranstover supports her argument by giving specific examples of tribes that have
suffered due to tourism, and the negative changes it had on the land and their culture. The authors purpose
is to explain the dark side of tourism that most tourists dont see in order to persuade her audience to not
participate in it until the tribes receive the respect they deserve. The author writes in a passionate and direct
voice to an adult audience that might be ignorant of the affairs she was discussing, seeking to stir them into
her point of view.
This source enriched our understanding of tribal tourism because it introduces a different perspective
on the issue, most often ignored by agencies. By claiming that the social consequences of tribal tourism are
more detrimental than beneficial, Kranstover is able to shed a different light into the issue at question. This
article, which sided entirely with the harms, completely contradicted the benefits, forcing us to weigh one
against the other in order to develop an educated stance. In developing our thesis, this knowledge could not
be ignored, pushing us to develop a concession. In our presentation to Sanchez Elementary, these issues
aided us in adding conflict to the story, by introducing changes upon the Indian community.
The Bright Side of Tourism
Tribal Tourism leads to financial opportunities for the tribe
itself, with artwork and traditional food being strong
industries. Shows, in which natives dance and perform
their rituals, also serve to develop jobs within their
community. Furthermore, as they follow oral tradition, they
are able to keep the stories of their tribe alive. Being a
marginalized group in American society, tribal tourism also
helps raise awareness of indigenous people.
The Dark Side of Tourism
Tribal Tourism, however, also requires to change the
landscape in order to give way to tourist accommodations,
harming the land they hold sacred. Furthermore, tourism
can easily cause native spiritual rituals to be made into a
show, disrespecting their traditions. Where natives choose
to remain isolated from society, touristic agencies can
force them out of isolation. Tourism, at its core, is a
business, and therefore it must put profit first in order to
succeed.
Testimony
"I am proud to support the work of the Southwest Indian Foundation. For
over a quarter of a century, the Foundation has been working amongst my
people and the other tribes of the Southwest to try to create a better life for
these forgotten Americans. Through education, emergency assistance, the
drilling of water wells and the building of bridges, home weatherization and
repair,and food and clothing distribution -- they have been a true friend to
the Native American people here in the desert."

-- R. C. Gorman (1931-2005), internationally renowned Navajo Artist

The SW Indian Foundation is a touristic organization that seeks to help Navajo and other
Indian tribes by promoting their culture
Our Thesis
Given that tourism agencies agree to approach reservations
responsibly, taking into consideration the natives point of view,
and that tourists act with the respect that tribal rituals deserve,
American Indians mostly benefit from tourism since tourist
agencies attempt to preserve their sacred land, modifying it less
than other industries would, give them an influx of jobs from which
they can rise above poverty and improve their community, allow
them to preserve their tribal cultures through the selling of artcraft
and the telling of stories, and ultimately help raise global
awareness of who they are.
 Reaching out to the Community
We chose this audience because we believed raising
awareness from a young age can create a ripple effect as they
grow. Children often have a very simplistic and stereotypical way to
view things, and we wanted to show them how Native Americans,
people, who they visualize with skirts and feathers, go through
many of the same things they are going through. With this in mind,
we presented a story to about ten kindergarteners using a felt
board. The kids were pretty engaged with the story of Isy and Kai,
two Navajo children that have recently had their reservation
change due to tribal tourism. Through the use of simplistic
language, Spanish-English translations, graphic images and a moral
at the end of the story, we were able to convey to them the
difficulty of change and the similar struggles all children face, while
educating them of the effects tourism has on reservations.
Our group at Sanchez Elementary
Group Reflection
At the beginning of this project, we thought the thesis would be one-sided and
strong, with our evidence easy to find. However, as we began analyzing sources, it soon became
clear that developing an argument would be challenging. We started off believing that tourism
was negative, without recognizing our own bias on the issue. However, as more evidence piled
up, the benefits began to outnumber the harms, making us realize and question our own
assumptions on the issue. Ultimately, we learned to always approach a situation with an open
mindset, and that Native Americans are not always harmed by being in contact with us, as long as
we respect their traditions and perspectives, which may greatly differ from our own.
If we were to do this again, we would seek to act out the story with the children, as
this would allow them to interact more while still taking in the information. Furthermore, we
would give them incentives (candy) for them to participate. As we attempt to follow up with
awareness on this topic, we could ask follow-up questions, have the PALs continue bringing
stories on Tribal Tourism to their PALees, or make posters to hang around the school.
Works Cited
Dominguez, Carina. Arizona Tribes Gather to Promote Tourism. Cronkite News, 30 January 2015,
http://cronkitenewsonline.com/2015/01/arizona-tribes-gather-to-promote-tourism/ . Accessed 8 February 2017.

Egerstrom, Lee. NATIVE Act aims to Promore Native Tourism. The Circle: Native American News and Art, 3 November
2016, http://thecirclenews.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1401 . Accessed 8 February 2017.

Estelli, Smith M. Tourism and Native Americans - 6.3. Cultural Survival, Sept. 1982,
www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/tourism-and-native-americans-63 . Accessed 5 Feb.
2017.

Gorman, R.C. Testimonials. Southwest Indian Foundation, 2017, https://www.southwestindian.com/foundation/testimonials,

Accessed 3 February 2017

Kranstover, Grace. Deteriorating Cultures: The Destructive Effects of Tribal Tourism.

Council on Hemispheric Affairs, 22 July 2014,
http://www.coha.org/deteriorating-cultures-the-destructive-effects-of-tribal-tourism/. Accessed on 3 Feb. 2017.