Tribes turn to tourism for jobs

The Associated Press

YAKIMA — Business has grown so rapidly at Legends casino that the Yakama Nation is building a $5 million events center next door and talking about the possibility of adding a hotel.

"It’s been bigger than we thought," said Shawn Haggerty, entertainment coordinator for the Toppenish casino, which opened in 1998 and attracted 1.2 million visitors last year.

The Yakama tribe also hired a tourism coordinator as part of its economic development program, one of several tribes in the state interested in bringing more visitor dollars to the reservation.

Statewide, tourism is a $10.6 billion industry.

The Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs and the state Office of Trade and Economic Development on Friday released their first assessment of tribal tourism, part of what Gov. Gary Locke called his goal to "create real jobs in Indian country."

The yearlong project involved interviews with representatives of 27 of the state’s tribes. It found that 18 tribes are actively involved in the tourism industry.

But only six tribes — the Colville, Yakama, Tulalip, Jamestown S’Klallam, Muckleshoot and Makah — have specific tourism development groups.

Many tribes have struggled to develop visitor opportunities because of a lack of planning and infrastructure, the study found. And several tribes said they would like to promote annual gatherings and festivals along with resorts, cultural centers and other attractions.

"Tourism can bring additional revenues to tribes, surrounding communities and the state," said Walter Jackson, director of the Quileute Tribe and chairman of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians economic development and tourism subcommittee.

"Through continued and improved cooperative efforts, the tribes and the state of Washington can build a stronger economy."

The Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians has won a $300,000 grant from the Administration for Native Americans that it will use to produce an intertribal tourism conference next year, along with a tourism Web site and a travel guide to the state’s tribal attractions.

The Makah Nation on the Olympic Peninsula, for example, has renovated the Cape Flattery trail to attract sightseers. In central Washington, the Yakama Nation’s cultural center draws about 2,000 visitors a month.

In Western Washington, the Tulalip Tribes have an annual longhouse ceremony that is open to the public, and the building itself is a model for historic tribal architecture.

In northeastern Washington, the Colville Confederated Tribes have boat rentals, cabins and other businesses along Lake Roosevelt.

"From the pristine beaches of the Olympic Peninsula to the rolling hills of the Palouse, tourism opportunities are abundant for Native American tribes in Washington state," Locke said.

The state’s 60-page assessment also provides ideas for tourism opportunities, information about the assistance needed to get such projects going, as well as barriers and concerns to tourism projects, and how individual tribes are currently using tourism for economic development.