Published April 06, 2023
The University of Wyoming and the Wind River Visitors Council -- collaborating with the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone business councils -- will host an Intertribal Tourism Summit at the Wind River Hotel and Casino and the Shoshone Rose Casino and Hotel Friday, April 21.
The summit will take place at the Wind River Hotel and Casino during the day at 9 a.m., and an optional dinner and entertainment will take place at the Shoshone Rose Casino and Hotel at 6:30 p.m. Several tours for visitors to experience various unique places on the Wind River Indian Reservation are scheduled Saturday, April 22.
The summit is free and open to the public, but there will be a fee for the Friday dinner. Registration is limited.
The summit is co-sponsored by the Wind River Visitors Council, the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality (WORTH) Initiative at UW and UW’s High Plains American Indian Research Institute. For more information and to register for the summit, go here.
The summit’s goal is to create more awareness, understanding and discussion about the impacts and opportunities of visitors on the sovereign nations and inhabitants of the Wind River reservation.
“Preliminary estimates show that travel spending generated $4.4 billion in 2022, making tourism the second-largest industry in Wyoming and the largest private employment sector with over 32,000 employed,” says Dan McCoy, interim director of WORTH and a co-convener of the summit. “Through the summit, we hope to learn from the past, build on current efforts and imagine a future that fosters more inclusivity in economic development and diversification. We hope to create a space where ideas are shared, friendships are forged and the future is created.”
The summit will feature panels that include tribal organizations that interface with visitors; entrepreneurs; and nontribal organizations that represent various state, regional and international perspectives. An opening ceremony, dancing, drumming and the sharing of history will be part of the summit.
Sébastien Desnoyers-Picard, vice president of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, will deliver the keynote address. Vendor tables are available for representatives selling merchandise or services.
For more information, email McCoy at dan.mccoy@uwyo.edu.
