Indian Culture Vacation Destinations

As I have done research online for the assignments of this course I have been impressed by the amount of information available online that has been placed there by the tribes themselves. The websites are vibrant, showing the pride the different tribes have in their culture and giving all of us the opportunity to learn more about it. The voice for my reflexive scholarly project, Waioskasit, is from the Menominee tribe of Wisconsin. The tribe’s website provides a considerable amount of information, especially given the small size of the tribe.

The web resources for module 2 further reinforced the fact that the culture of Native Americans is gaining in importance and there is desire among non-native people to learn more about the people who occupied this land before they did. Two resources stand out to me but for different reasons, the Seneca Art and Culture Center and The American Indian Cultural Center and Museum.

Both of these facilities are under construction and have been financed by contributions from the general public. As a resident of Central New York for over 30 years I had no idea that the Seneca Art and Cultural Center even existed and is just an hour away. It opens this summer and will tell the story of the Seneca and Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) contributions to art, culture and society for more than 2,000 years to the present day.

The American Indian Cultural Center and Museum in Oklahoma City, OK will create an awareness and understanding for all people of the Oklahoma American Indian cultures and heritage. This is a large facility that is scheduled to open in 2017 where visitors can experience one-of-a-kind exhibits, participate in hands-on educational programs and hear first-hand accounts of tribal culture and history. This facility is designed to be a major tourist attraction for Oklahoma and is fully supported by state and local governments.

These centers are but two of many that are bringing Native American culture and history into the mainstream of American tourism and offer a great opportunity to immerse non-natives to it. By making the experience fun and exciting these and other facilities in the United States and Canada will become vacation destinations for many people and will help to spread awareness and understanding of native culture and history. I look forward to visiting these sites with my family as part of our vacation travels and hope others will too.