Heritage Tourism and Indigenous Communities in the American Southwest

Abstract

For average tourists to the American Southwest, there is often a disconnected view of indigenous people. Their perceptions might include that people who once lived here have left and no longer have ties to the land and resources. Few tour guides are Indigenous. Non-indigenous tour guides are ill-prepared to speak about the land’s rich human heritage, even while visiting ancestral places of living cultures. There is recognition and attribution that tribal affiliations exist. Yet, for non-tribal tourists these are simply stories meant for entertainment that have boundaries and meanings often inconsistent with living cultures. Incorporating and sharing Indigenous voices is one way to expand tourist awareness of cultural heritage. This chapter explores how Indigenous perspectives at the Grand Canyon National Park were developed and shared with non-Indigenous tourists. This case can be used as an example of a respectful and culturally sustaining approach to heritage tourism.