Legislature(2023 - 2024)DAVIS 106
04/22/2024 03:30 PM House TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation(s): Cultural Tourism 101 - Investing in Alaska's Full Potential | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON TRIBAL AFFAIRS
April 22, 2024
3:31 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative CJ McCormick, Chair
Representative Ben Carpenter
Representative Sarah Vance
Representative Thomas Baker
Representative Maxine Dibert
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Jamie Allard
Representative Ashley Carrick
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION(S): CULTURAL TOURISM 101 - INVESTING IN ALASKA'S
FULL POTENTIAL
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
EMILY EDENSHAW, President & CEO
Alaska Native Heritage Center
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-offered the Cultural Tourism 101 -
Investing in Alaska's Full Potential presentation.
KELSEY WALLACE, Vice President
Alaska Native Heritage Center
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-offered the Cultural Tourism 101 -
Investing in Alaska's Full Potential presentation.
SHERRY RUPERT, CEO
American Native Tourism Association
Albuquerque, New Mexico
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-offered the Cultural Tourism 101 -
Investing in Alaska's Full Potential presentation.
RICHARD CHALYEE EESH PETERSON, President
Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered committee questions on behalf of
the presenters.
JULIE KITKA, President
Alaska Federation of Natives
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered committee questions on behalf of
the presenters.
KIM REITMEIER, President
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Regional Association
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered committee questions on behalf of
the presenters.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:31:46 PM
CHAIR CJ MCCORMICK called the House Special Committee on Tribal
Affairs meeting to order at 3:31 p.m. Representatives Dibert,
Vance, Carpenter, Baker, and McCormick were present at the call
to order.
^PRESENTATION(S): Cultural Tourism 101 - Investing in Alaska's
Full Potential
PRESENTATION(S): Cultural Tourism 101 - Investing in Alaska's
Full Potential
3:33:08 PM
CHAIR MCCORMICK announced that the only order of business would
be the Cultural Tourism 101 - Investing in Alaska's Full
Potential presentation.
3:33:45 PM
EMILY EDENSHAW, President & CEO, Alaska Native Heritage Center,
co-offered the Cultural Tourism 101 - Investing in Alaska's Full
Potential presentation. She acknowledged that this is the first
time in Alaska's history that a legislative committee would hear
the issue of cultural tourism. She gave a brief history of the
Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC) and explained to the
committee what the term "cultural tourism" means. She
highlighted that the State of Alaska currently does not spend
any money on cultural tourism and cannot afford to continue with
the "status quo" of current tourism.
3:43:00 PM
KELSEY WALLACE, Vice President, Alaska Native Heritage Center,
continued the presentation to the committee. She began a
PowerPoint [hard copy included in the committee packet], on
slide 3, labeled "Mission" and "Vision," which described the
mission statement of ANHC, as well as its vision of success.
She moved forward to slide 4, titled "About," which explained
the history and background of ANHC in Anchorage. She emphasized
the importance and significance of ANHC to the Alaska Native
peoples and said that it is the only living cultural center in
Anchorage that promotes and celebrates all Alaska Natives. She
proceeded to slide 5, which displayed a map of Alaska that
delineated each specific Alaska Native culture as it relates
geographically.
3:48:39 PM
MS. EDENSHAW moved to slide 6, which read as follows [original
punctuation provided]:
DEFINITION OF CULTURAL TOURISM
Cultural Tourism educates visitors about traditional
Alaska Native knowledge and ways of life while
providing for the perpetuation of culture by offering
opportunities to experience and learn about Alaska
Native peoples, cultures, and history.
VISION FOR CULTURAL TOURISM
?Content is driven and owned by Alaska Native people
?Cultural Tourism creates economic opportunity for
Alaska Native people, organizations, and the State of
Alaska
?Cultural Tourism authentically represents Alaska
Native people ?Content allows culture to live and
thrive
?Cultural Tourism educates and reshapes perception
?Cultural Tourism builds the capacity of Alaska Native
people and organizations
?Cultural Tourism begins to redirect the narrative
?Cultural Tourism is experiential and brings in more
revenue
MS. EDENSHAW concluded slide 6 by addressing certain perceived
misconceptions about cultural tourism.
3:53:14 PM
MS. EDENSHAW moved on to slide 7, titled "ANHC and Cultural
Tourism," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
5-Year Cultural Tourism Plan executed by McKinley
Research Group Interactive Map of Cultural Tourism
Offerings executed by Resource Data Catalogued and
displayed over 100 cultural tourism institutions (next
slide) Business Plan Templates executed by Spruce Root
Jewelry Business, Social Enterprise Business, Driving
Tour Business Prospective businesses to benefit:
Hospitality, Museum and Cultural Centers, Art, Outdoor
Recreation, Transportation, non-Indigenous Government
entities Cultural Tourism Development Plan Increase
visibility of Alaska Native culture and experiences in
marketing programs Leverage the strengths and
resources of key organizations including state and
community destination marketing organizations, tour
operators and cruise lines, Tribes, and economic
development organizations. Expand Alaska Native
involvement in business ownership, destination
marketing, and industry advocacy. Informed by a SWOT
Analysis Resulted in 7 Objectives, 16 strategies, 15
metrics ANHC has secured partnerships with AIANTA,
Department of Interior, Alaska Venture Fund ($25K),
Municipality of Anchorage ($25K), the Economic
Development Administration, and other institutions
resulting in over $250K in funds. ANHC is hiring a
Cultural Tourism Manager to build out capacity within
the industry for coordination of entities, development
of products for the tourism market, and advancement of
formation for a 501c6 nonprofit.
MS. EDENSHAW noted that all of the resources prepared by ANHC
are federally funded through the Economic Development
Administration (EDA) and noted that Mayor Dave Bronson of
Anchorage allocated $25,000 to form a cultural tourism task
force in Anchorage.
3:55:37 PM
MS. WALLACE continued the presentation on slide 8, titled
"Alaska Cultural Tourism Opportunities," which displayed an
interactive map of over 100 different cultural tourism
businesses and organizations throughout Alaska. She emphasized
that this interactive map is the first of its kind and said that
it is meant to highlight Alaska Native-run businesses.
3:59:03 PM
MS. WALLACE moved to slide 9, titled "Untapped Potential in
Alaska," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
When visitors experience cultural tourism, they stay
longer than other visitors and spend more money.
Injects new money into the economy, boosting
businesses and tax revenues Creates new jobs, funds
new businesses, events & attractions, diversifies
economy Supports businesses including small businesses
like artists, guides, educators Increases customer
base for local businesses Promotes active preservation
and protection of important local resources Allows
Indigenous people and communities to define and tell
our own stories
MS. WALLACE emphasized the term "untapped potential" mentioned
in slide 9 and explained that cultural tourism injects new money
into Alaska's economy which creates jobs and incomes for people
living in urban and rural Alaska.
4:02:15 PM
MS. EDENSHAW continued to slide 10, titled "Alaska's Untapped
Potential cont.," which read as follows [original punctuation
provided]:
ANHC and State of Alaska Partnerships: Develop
business efforts focused on creating culturally
educational accommodations, tour options,
fishing/hunting/guiding, and more. Need support and
investment from government partners to ensure entities
are set up for success and sustainability. GROWTH
Potential: Alaska navigates questionable futures for
sustaining budget on oil/gas/fishing/mining. Cultural
Tourism impacts can help offset budget deficits. More
local businesses owned and operated by Native
companies means that money tourists are spending isn't
funneled into the international cruise industries
Increased cruise industry: Alaska Port Improvement
Project in Anchorage means an increase in Southcentral
Alaska - yet most cruise industry marketing and
business development efforts are geared towards
Southeast Alaska ANHC and Cultural Tourism entities
can incorporate cultural demonstrations into
businesses for cultural preservation, advancing our
collective mission, and education.
MS. EDENSHAW shared that ANHC has prepared a statewide cultural
tourism economic impact report, the first of its kind in Alaska,
and she noted that Denali has little to no cultural tourism in
the entire borough and park.
4:06:03 PM
SHERRY RUPERT, CEO, American Native Tourism Association
(AIANTA), gave her name for the record.
4:06:18 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 4:06 p.m. to 4:07 p.m. to
address technical issues.
4:07:24 PM
CHAIR MCCORMICK noted that Ms. Rupert was sharing her screen in
order to give her presentation.
4:08:20 PM
The committee took a brief at-ease at 4:08 p.m. to address
technical issues.
4:08:54 PM
CHAIR MCCORMICK asked Ms. Rupert to continue even though the
presentation could not be seen at the moment.
MS. RUPERT began a PowerPoint [hard copy included in the
committee packet], on slide 2, titled "AIANTA's Mission," which
explained the mission statement of AIANTA. She emphasized that
it is the only national Native organization dedicated to
advancing cultural tourism in Native nations and communities
across the United States.
4:11:12 PM
MS. RUPERT moved to slide 3 of her presentation, titled
"Economic Impact," and she said that 92 percent of Indigenous-
owned tourism businesses were firmed without paid employees.
She moved to slide 4 of her presentation, titled "Economic
Impact," which displayed a graph of jobs gained under cultural
tourism employment. She continued the subject of economic
impact on slide 5, which displayed the number of American
Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian-owned cultural tourism
businesses, and she touched on the potential for visitation to
rural communities in Alaska, not just urban centers. She noted
the specific experiences that visitors aim for when they travel
to the United States, in particular Alaska and Hawai'i, one of
the most important ones being cultural experiences.
4:22:12 PM
MS. RUPERT moved to the penultimate slide of her presentation,
titled "seizing the opportunity," where she spoke of various
state-funded travel agencies throughout the United States that
fund and support cultural tourism and explained how this form of
tourism benefits each tribe in its respective state. She
concluded her presentation and reiterated that now is the prime
time for Indigenous tourism across the country and emphasized
the high demand for cultural tourism through her evidence of
economic prosperity.
4:28:27 PM
CHAIR MCCORMICK thanked Ms. Rupert and reminded the committee
that the presentation would be made available shortly.
4:28:52 PM
MS. WALLACE commented that Alaska is different from the rest of
the United States when it comes to cultural tourism because it
requires more acute marketing to get people to experience
"authentic Alaska."
4:30:30 PM
RICHARD CHALYEE EESH PETERSON, President, Tlingit & Haida Indian
Tribes of Alaska ("Tlingit & Haida"), answered committee
questions on behalf of the presenters. He began by emphasizing
the "profound responsibility" of those participating in cultural
tourism to ensure that the narratives and experiences of Native
people are not only included in cultural tourism but honored and
uplifted. He used an historical example of a misconception
about Alaska Native history at the Mendenhall Glacier as an
example of how cultural tourism could be used to combat
misinformation in the future. He explained that cultural
tourism could have substantial economic benefit to Indigenous
peoples and used Tlingit & Haida's recent acquisition of lands
at Tee Harbor in Juneau, Alaska, as an example of such benefits.
4:37:11 PM
JULIE KITKA, President, Alaska Federation of Natives, answered
committee questions on behalf of the presenters. She spoke of
the creation of an Indigenous tourism corporation in 2021 and
explained how it relates to the overall effort of cultural
tourism in Alaska and explained the Alaska Federation of
Native's understanding that any state money invested in cultural
tourism would be more beneficial than an investment in
conventional tourism.
4:41:56 PM
KIM REITMEIER, President, Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
Regional Association, answered committee questions on behalf of
the presenters. She began by providing her background in
cultural tourism and said that the one common note across the
tourism industry in Alaska is that there is "missed opportunity"
to fully embrace cultural tourism and embrace the Indigenous
people of Alaska. She explained the role that Alaska Native
regional corporations play in boosting cultural tourism in
Alaska and used a $1.5 billion figure that was invested back
into the regional corporations' local communities as an example
of their commitment to their localities.
4:48:18 PM
CHAIR MCCORMICK thanked Ms. Reitmeier for her testimony and
asked Ms. Wallace what the legislature can do as a body to help
forward cultural tourism in rural Alaska.
MS. WALLACE advised that it all comes down to strength in
partnerships between the state and local Native entities, and
she gave examples and hypotheticals of ideas for possible
cultural tourism activities in Alaska.
4:51:39 PM
MS. EDENSHAW commented that this is an historic hearing for the
Alaska State Legislature and the House Special Committee on
Tribal Affairs and emphasized the importance of creating open
spaces of conversation for the idea of cultural tourism in
Alaska.
4:53:07 PM
MR. PETERSON added his opinion that the first step is engaging
in the conversation surrounding cultural tourism, but the next
step is to engage in the budget process to direct state funds to
the local Indigenous entities across the state.
4:53:41 PM
MS. KITKA commented that an investment from the state in
cultural tourism would be a great gesture of respect from the
state to the tribes.
4:54:45 PM
MS. EDENSHAW added that the formation of a statewide taskforce
on cultural tourism would forward the efforts of expanding
cultural tourism in Alaska.
4:56:05 PM
MS. RUPERT thanked the other invited testifiers and shared her
hopes and visions of the future of cultural tourism in Alaska.
4:57:09 PM
CHAIR MCCORMICK thanked all of the presenters and invited
testifiers.
MS. EDENSHAW shared a quote from an Alaska Native elder and
thanked the committee and invited testifiers for their
testimony.
4:58:08 PM
CHAIR MCCORMICK concluded his remarks and said that he would
work on making cultural tourism a statewide phenomenon.
4:58:39 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Tribal Affairs meeting was adjourned at
4:58 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HTRB Presentation 4.22.24.pdf |
HTRB 4/22/2024 3:30:00 PM |
ANHC Presentation |
| HTRB Presentation #2 4.22.24.pdf |
HTRB 4/22/2024 3:30:00 PM |