NORTH DAKOTA NATIVE TOURISM ALLIANCE
Mission
The mission of NDNTA is to protect, promote, preserve, and educate the world about the culture, history and environment of our sovereign nations. The NDNTA will promote and educate through sustainable tourism while developing economic opportunities for our people and nations.
VISION
To enhance and promote Tribal Tourism as a means of economic development and growth for all North Dakota Tribal Nations, while maintaining respect for sovereignty, tribal traditions and lands.
ADDRESSING A NEED
Tourism is North Dakota’s 3rd largest industry. Visitor spending brings in $3.6B to North Dakota each year and is growing double digits on average across all counties.
Tribal members represent less than 5 percent of North Dakota’s population but more than 10 percent of North Dakota visitor spending occurs in and immediately surrounding their lands.
With 20 percent of overnight travelers to North Dakota visiting Native American sites and 6 percent motivated to make the trip for that reason, there is demand for Native experiences but the spending opportunities that benefit tribal members are few.
Many of the Native American sites that are attracting visitors in North Dakota are not owned or managed by the tribes whose history they represent.
Cultural tourists are shown to spend more time and money on trips, potentially benefiting tribal communities and the entire state of North Dakota.
Tribal tourism development promotes governance, sustainability, small businesses, improved infrastructure, compelling amenities, cultural preservation, and more employment opportunities in Native communities.
HISTORY
The NDNTA is a coalition representing the tourism interests of the five nations of North Dakota: Spirit Lake Nation, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians.
Since re-establishing the NDNTA in May 2016, the regional Alliance has made significant strides with the support of its partners to establish their organizational structure, identify priority initiatives, and gain visibility for indigenous tourism development. Main achievements include:
The creation of the five-reservation NDNTA, operating as a nonprofit, with ten voting directors and eight non-voting advisory committee members
The endorsement of NDNTA by five tribal councils and five tribal colleges
The establishment of a Tourism Department within Spirit Lake Nation
Support and involvement of state agencies in North Dakota indigenous tourism, including North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission and North Dakota Tourism
Vetted organizational bylaws and strategic plan for the NDNTA
Identification of near-term experience development opportunities
Increased awareness of North Dakota indigenous tourism through media coverage