Indigenous tourism gains ground as tribes reclaim storytelling and economic development

SOUTH DAKOTA — Tribal nations across South Dakota are cautiously expanding Indigenous-led tourism efforts, reframing visitor engagement as a tool for economic development, cultural education and community renewal rather than exploitation.

A sign hangs outside the entrance to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, home to the Oglala Sioux Tribe, on Sept. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/Kristi Eaton, File)

The work is being led in part by the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance, which partners with tribal leaders, artists and educators to help communities define for themselves what tourism should — and should not — look like on reservation lands.

For many Native communities, the idea of welcoming visitors has long carried painful associations. Generations of cultural appropriation, broken promises and poverty have created deep hesitation about opening sacred spaces to outsiders.

“There has always been fear that tourism meant selling our culture,” said Sarah Kills In Water of the alliance. “What we’ve worked toward instead is helping communities see that they can control the narrative — deciding what to share, how to share it and why it matters.”

That shift, she said, has opened space for tribal members to imagine tourism on their own terms — from cultural centers and museums to outdoor experiences rooted in traditional ecological knowledge.

The alliance recently received national recognition with a $175,000 J.M. Kaplan Innovation Prize, providing multi-year support, training and resources to expand its work across the state’s nine reservations.

Rather than focusing on mass tourism, Indigenous tourism initiatives emphasize smaller-scale, relationship-based experiences that highlight living cultures, not performances.

“There are powerful stories on every reservation,” said Rhea Waldman, executive director of the alliance. “Each nation has its own history, its own values, its own places of meaning. Indigenous tourism is about helping visitors understand who Native people are today.”

Across Indian Country, tribal tourism has grown quietly in recent years. The Navajo Nation, home to Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon, has demonstrated how tribally controlled tourism can support local economies while protecting cultural integrity, even as global disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in the industry.

In South Dakota, some of the most promising ideas involve land-based learning. On the Rosebud Reservation, tribal members have proposed guided hikes that teach visitors about traditional medicines, local plants and the spiritual relationship between people and place.

“Our people want to take visitors onto the land and explain what it means to us,” Kills In Water said. “That connection has existed for thousands of years.”

Beyond economic opportunity, tribal leaders say Indigenous tourism can also strengthen communities internally by reconnecting citizens to language, history and leadership traditions.

“This is about educating visitors without exploiting ourselves,” Kills In Water said. “It’s about telling our story truthfully — acknowledging our struggles, our survival and the fact that we are still here.”

Historic sites on tribal lands, including the Wounded Knee Memorial on the Pine Ridge Reservation, draw visitors seeking a deeper understanding of U.S. history from an Indigenous perspective.

Still, significant barriers remain. Many reservations lack infrastructure such as lodging, restaurants and transportation services needed to support tourism, particularly in rural areas where towns may be separated by hours of travel.

“There’s a real chicken-and-egg problem,” Waldman said. “You need visitors to support businesses, but you need businesses in place to attract visitors.”

Balancing access with protection of sacred spaces also remains a central concern. Tribal nations vary widely in what they are comfortable sharing, requiring tourism plans tailored to each community’s values and priorities.

National partnerships are beginning to play a role. Tour operators such as Trafalgar have introduced itineraries that include tribal lands, increasing visibility while raising new questions about scale and sustainability.

At the federal level, the 2016 Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act, co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. John Thune, created pathways for tribes to be represented in national tourism planning and infrastructure development.

For Indigenous leaders, however, the goal is not simply increased visitation.

“Indigenous tourism is not about numbers,” Waldman said. “It’s about respect, education and self-determination — and ensuring that Native communities benefit first.”