AITC 2019 Speakers

Dorothy FireCloud
Sicangu Lakota Tribe
Superintendent
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Tuzigoot National Monument

Dorothy FireCloud, the Superintendent of the Montezuma Castle National Monument and Tuzigoot National Monument is a member of the Sicangu Lakota Tribe. She has a Juris Doctorate from the New Mexico School of Law and has been a member of the New Mexico State Bar since 1991.

She joined the federal government in 1992 as a Water Rights Specialist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Phoenix. From 1996 to 1998, she worked for the Pueblo of Zuni (IPA) developing their water rights program. She transferred to the US Forest Service in 1998 as the SW Tribal Program Manager. She served as Team Leader of the National Team on Tribal Relations which developed an extensive report and recommendations providing guidance to fulfilling the FS trust responsibilities. Several critical items were passed in the 2008 Farm bill (i.e., temporary closures of Forest Service lands for tribal cultural activities), P.L. 110-246, June 8, 2008, Title VIII, Subtitle B.

She served as acting District Ranger in Hoonah, Alaska, Tongass National Forest and acting Deputy Forest Supervisor on the Black Hills National Forest. In June, 2006 she moved to the National Park Service as the Superintendent, Devils Tower National Monument. She transferred to become Superintendent, Montezuma Castle National Monument, subunit, Montezuma Well and Tuzigoot National Monument, in the Camp Verde, AZ area in 2012

She served as an NPS representative on the Department of Interior, Government to Government Team, which was responsible for developing the DOI national consultation policy signed by Secretary Salazar in November, 2011.

Ms. FireCloud recently received the Professional Certificate in Cultural Heritage Tourism, George Washington University, School of Business. The certificate program was developed by the George Washington University in partnership with AIANTA.

The Business of Art; Monday, Sept. 16; 1 p.m.

Camille L. Ferguson
|Tlingit
Director of Economic Development
Sitka Tribe of Alaska

Camille L. Ferguson is the Economic Development Director for the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, where she is responsible for developing new projects as well as overseeing the Tribes’ tourism programs, gaming operations, the Tribal tannery and the Community House Convention Facility.

Ferguson, a citizen of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska and a member of the Kiksadi Clan serves on the National Advisory Committee on Transportation Tourism Infrastructure (NACTTI) and was recently elected to the U.S. Travel Association’s Board of Directors, and the At-Large representative on AIANTA. She has 30 years of tribal tourism development experience in variance capacities from customer service, tourism development and administration.

The Importance of Customer Service in Cultural Tourism Development; Wednesday, Sept. 18; 10:30 a.m.

Lisa Gassman
Tlingit
General Manager
Sitka Tribe of Alaska

Alicia “Lisa” Gassman, tlingit name Skadul.aat, is Teikweidi (Eagle/Bear) originating from the Xoots Valley Hit in the Angoon area. Lisa’s parents are Al & Pauline (Kookesh) Duncan. Her grandparents are Matthew and Ramona Kookesh (maternal) and Pete and Emma Duncan (paternal). She is child of Kiksadi (Raven/Frog). Lisa is a graduate of Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado where she received her Bachelor of Arts with a Political Science major. She graduated from the University of Washington School of Law with her Juris Doctorate degree in 1997. She worked at Sitka Tribe of Alaska from 1999-2011 as the General Manager and during that time the cultural tourism programs experienced a tremendous amount of growth due to her support of STE Director Camille Ferguson. She worked for the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) from 2011-2016 and returned to Sitka Tribe as the General Manager again in 2016.

Shared Stewardship: Re-claim Your Narrative by Co-Managing Public Lands; Monday, Sept. 16; 2:15 p.m.

Jeff L. Grubbe
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
Tribal Chairman
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians

Jeff L. Grubbe serves as Tribal Chairman for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. With his election in 2006 to the Tribal Council, Chairman Grubbe continues a legacy of service and follows in his grandfather Lawrence Pierce’s footsteps, who also once served on the Tribal Council. Grubbe was appointed as Chairman in 2012 and won election to the seat later that same year. Prior to his service on the Tribal Council, Grubbe worked as a data entry clerk in the Trust Enforcement Support Activities (TESA) department for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

His work for the Tribe has spanned many years. In 1999, Mr. Grubbe entered the Agua Caliente Resort and Spa tribal intern program where he worked in the casino as a table games shift manager. His experience eventually led to his involvement in other Tribal service including the Agua Caliente Child Development Committee, the Agua Caliente Election Board, the Gaming Commission, and the Tribal Building Committee. Chairman Grubbe later joined the Agua Caliente Development Authority (ACDA) and has been involved with the authority since 2003. He continues to serve as the Tribal Council Liaison. He also serves on the Executive Board of the Coachella Valley Association of Governments.

Chairman Grubbe is also involved in various organizations across Indian Country including service to the following boards: Nike N7, Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations, National Indian Gaming Association and the National Congress of American Indians. In addition, he serves on the Board of Trustees of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.

Chairman Grubbe was recognized with a 40 Under 40 Award from The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development. In addition, he was also recognized by Palm Springs Life Magazine with a 40 Under 40 Award for distinguished young professionals contributing to the success of the Coachella Valley.

Grubbe earned his bachelor degree in Information Systems from the University of Redlands. He also has an associate arts degree from Haskell Indian Nations University.

Keynote Speech: Authentically Cultivating Cultural Tourism; Wednesday, Sept. 17; 11:45 a.m

Julie P. Heizer
Deputy Director Industry Relations
National Travel and Tourism Office, U.S. Department of Commerce

Julie Heizer rejoined the U.S. Department of Commerce in September 2003 as Deputy Director, Industry Relations for the National Travel and Tourism Office (formerly Office of Travel and Tourism Industries). She is responsible for industry outreach, partnerships, and strategic alliances for travel and tourism-related Commerce projects, and serves as the staff liaison for Brand USA. For six years prior to that, she was Director, and then Vice President of Tourism for the Washington, DC Convention and Tourism Corporation (now Destination DC). Julie has also served as Assistant Director of Development for the Maryland Office of Tourism Development, as well as the United States Travel and Tourism Administration, a former agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Prior to that, she was the Executive Director for the Virginia Peninsula Tourism and Conference Bureau and the Montgomery County, Maryland Convention and Visitors Bureau, Julie loves travel, the theatre, good books, good movies, and good jokes – not necessarily in that order.

Why Overseas Tourism Matters to Indian Country; Tuesday, Sept. 17; 10:30 a.m.

Taiawagi Helton
Professor of Law
University of Oklahoma College of Law

Taiawagi Helton is the W. DeVier Pierson Professor of Law at the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where he teaches courses in the areas of environmental law, property law, and Indian law, including Native American Natural Resources, Federal Indian Law, and Religion, Culture and Indian Law. His research emphasizes environmental and natural resources issues relating to Native Americans, as well as nation building in Indian country. Helton began his legal career as a clerk for the Honorable Robert H. Henry, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Helton received his Master of Laws degree from Yale Law School after graduating with highest honors from the University of Tulsa College of Law. In 2012, he was awarded the Regents’ Award for Superior Teaching, the highest teaching award at the University of Oklahoma.

Protecting Tribal Sovereignty Through Contracts; Wednesday, Sept. 18; 10:30 a.m.

Keith Henry
Métis
President and CEO
Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada

Mr. Keith Henry is a Métis person that was born in Thompson, Manitoba, Canada, and raised in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Mr. Henry began his career in 1995 with teaching positions and has become well known for his strategic administrative and negotiations skills. Since 1998 Mr. Henry has led numerous provincial, federal and industry negotiations on a variety of issues. He has been directly responsible for financial administration of a number of Aboriginal non-profits and has a proven track record of success. 

Mr. Henry has become an international Indigenous cultural tourism leader, receiving Aboriginal/Indigenous recognition as the former CEO for Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia (AtBC). In April 2014, the inaugural World Indigenous Tourism Alliance award recognized the work of AtBC and Mr. Henry’s leadership. Mr. Henry has been spearheading the growth of authentic Indigenous tourism in Canada as he worked to redevelop the national Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada as elected chair when this organization incorporated in April 2015. In October 2015 Mr. Henry took the full-time role as the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada’s CEO. 

In Canada, Mr. Henry continues to be recognized across the country as one of the leaders in Indigenous tourism and has led many new initiatives including a national tourism strategy entitled, cruise industry opportunities and the national Aboriginal tourism research project on the economic value of Indigenous cultural tourism. Mr. Henry was instrumental in the development of the national Indigenous tourism strategy “The Path Forward 2016-2021” which focuses on increasing Aboriginal market readiness, creating jobs and increasing revenue. 

Mr. Henry volunteers time in the Aboriginal community and maintains several board positions including the former President of the Industry Council for Aboriginal Business, former chair of the Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada, current Chair for the Native Education College, member of the Minister’s Council on Tourism, former member of the Vancouver Board of Trade’s Aboriginal Opportunities Committee, member of the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance, member of the International Marketing Committee Destination Canada member and current President of the BC Métis Federation.

Keynote Speech: How Indigenous Tourism is Reshaping Tourism in Canada; Tuesday, Sept. 17; 11:45 a.m.

John Herrington
Chickasaw Nation
Astronaut

John Herrington is a retired NASA astronaut and U.S. Naval Aviator. As a member of the Chickasaw Nation, he is the first Native American to fly into space. He served as a mission specialist for the 16th Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station where he performed three spacewalks totaling nearly 20 hours. He is also an inductee to the International Air and Space Hall of Fame and author of the children’s book “Mission to Space.”

Many Voices – Telling the Story of the USA Through Film; Thursday, Sept. 19; 11:45 a.m.

Janie Simms Hipp, J.D., LL.M.
Chickasaw
CEO
Native American Agriculture Fund

Before serving as CEO of NAAF, Janie Simms Hipp was the founding director of the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative at the University of Arkansas. Prior to that, she served as national program leader for Farm Financial Management, Trade Adjustment Assistance, Risk Management Education, and the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development programs at the USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture. 

She was thereafter selected as the senior advisor for tribal relations to Secretary Tom Vilsack and director of the Office of Tribal Relations. Prior to her work in Washington, D.C., at the national level, she has enjoyed a lengthy domestic and international career spanning more than 35 years in the agriculture sector as an agriculture and food lawyer and policy expert. Her work focuses on the complex intersection of Indian law and agriculture and food law.

Tribal Agritourism Development; Wednesday, Sept. 18; 4 p.m.

Tony Hines
Creative Director
BHW1 Advertising

Tony Hines has been a technogeek, novelist, entrepreneur, filmmaker, and advertising agency owner/principal throughout a 20-year career, working with clients such as Sun Valley Resort, Kwataqnuk Resort & Casino, Coeur d’Alene Resort Casino, Circling Raven Golf Course, Angel of the Winds Casino, and many other tourism-driven businesses. Tony is a proven resource to many successful tourism campaigns that have garnered a variety of industry awards and recognitions including a perfect 3 – 0 record in his air guitar competitions.

Digital Tools for 21st Century Marketing; Wednesday, Sept. 18; 10:30 a.m.

Crystal Holtz
Oneida Nation
Sales Manager
Radisson Hotel & Conference Center Green Bay.

Crystal is a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. The Oneida Nation has over 16,000 enrolled members globally. Crystal brings over 18 years of experience to the Tourism industry. Prior to moving to Miami, FL she was the Advertising Director for the Oneida Nation’s Tourism Department, the first tribal tourism department in the US. She was responsible for negotiating the first Tribal contract with the NFL. They currently have their own gate – the “Oneida Nation Gate” at historic Lambeau Field – home of the Green Bay Packers. The Oneida Nation presently have their exclusive Oneida Nation tours through their Tourism Department and will tailor these to the visitors’ needs.

The Oneida Nation has a vast array of tourism initiatives including, the Oneida Nation Museum, Tsyunkehkwa (a holistic retail entity), a Buffalo Farm as well as an Oneida Cultural Heritage Department. They also have a Business Development Unit which operates their One Stop Convenience Centers and gas stations throughout the reservation.

After moving home in 2013 Crystal currently is a Sales Manager at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center Green Bay. Her markets include Tribal, Association and Government. Crystal holds a Bachelor’s degree is in Management and Communication and has a Master’s in Management and Organizational Behavior. She has previously served on the Native American Tourism of Wisconsin as well as the Green Bay Children’s Museum Board.

Itinerary Building; Thursday, Sept. 19; 10:30 a.m.

Jefferson Keel
Chickasaw
President
National Congress of American Indians

Jefferson Keel serves as the 22nd President of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native tribal government organization in the country. President Keel was elected on October 2017 at NCAI’s 74th Annual Convention to serve a third nonconsecutive term as President of NCAI.

As a proud Native American, President Keel is firmly committed to the service of Indian Country. Serving his fifth term as the Lt. Governor of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma he is keenly aware of the roles and responsibilities expected of tribal leaders and earnestly believes in the policy of “helping our people through honorable public service.”

President Keel also represents Indian Country on numerous national boards and committees including serving on the Board of Advisors for the Center for Native American Youth, created by former Senator Dorgan at the Aspen Institute. In addition, he was appointed as one of nine commissioners to serve on Tribal Law and Order Commission established under the Tribal Law and Order Act in 2010.

President Keel has previously served as Chair of the Tribal Interior Budget Committee, on the Indian Health Service Policy Advisory Committee, the Centers for Disease Control Tribal Consultation Advisory Committee, the Self-Governance Advisory Committee, the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee, the Health Research Advisory Council for the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health, and the Department of Justice Tribal Advisory Group.

President Keel is a retired U.S. Army officer with more than 20 years active duty service. He served three years of service in Vietnam, and received numerous awards and decorations for heroism, including two Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star with “V” for valor. He is a former Airborne Ranger, infantry platoon sergeant, platoon leader, and served as an instructor in the elite U.S. Army Rangers.

President Keel earned his Bachelor’s degree from East Central University and Master’s degree from Troy State University. He is a Master Mason and a member of the East Central University Board of Directors. He is active in his church and community. President Keel and his wife, Carol, have three children and eight grandchildren.

Empowering Tribal Nations to Build Sustainable Economies: The Role of Federal Policy; Wednesday, Sept. 18; 8 a.m.

Anne Ketz
CEO & Services Director
106 Group

Anne’s career in heritage management and planning extends over 30 years and three continents. Anne is Vice President for the International Committee on Interpretation and Presentation (ICIP) for ICOMOS and an Expert Member of the Cultural Tourism Committee (ICTC). Since co-founding the 106 Group, she has worked with a broad range of stakeholders, including slave descendants, immigrants and Native Americans.

Strategic Planning for Cultural Tourism: A Process for Implementing Community and Economic Development; Wednesday, Sept. 18; 2:30 p.m.

Marnie Leist
Director
Shawnee Tribe Cultural Center

Marnie Leist is a helper. She helps make visions become reality. At the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository in Alaska, she facilitated best practices advancing the museum’s accreditation. After completing community-driven publications, exhibits and collections care projects, she relocated to Oklahoma to join the Shawnee Tribe in 2018. She oversaw the opening of their new cultural center and encouraged inclusive programming. With guidance from the STCC Kid’s Committee, the cultural center is designing exhibits and programs as in-house, mobile and digital resources to serve Shawnee citizens

Driving Tourism Through Cultural Centers; Tuesday, Sept. 17; 1:05 p.m.

Linley B. Logan
Seneca Nation of Indians
Director of the Northwest Heritage Program
Longhouse Education and Cultural Center, Evergreen State College

Linley Logan is a multi-disciplinary contemporary artist/designer and art consultant. He has attended four International Indigenous Arts Exchanges, curates contemporary Native American art exhibits and serves on local arts boards.

Linley’s employment experience includes the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian, and teaching printmaking at Hawaiian Ohana for Education in the Arts, Hawaii. Linley has served on grant review panels for the Longhouse Education and Cultural Center, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, First Peoples Fund, Ford Foundation–Leveraging Investments in Creativity, National Endowment for the Arts-Folk and Traditional Arts, All Roads Film program, and the National Geographic Society.

The Business of Art; Monday, Sept. 16; 1 p.m.
Building Tribal Arts Programs; Tuesday, Sept. 17; 10:30 a.m

Shawn Loring
CEO/Attorney
Escapees RV Club

Shawn began his career in the financial services industry in 1994. He has held positions as a bond analyst for a prominent insurance company, as an account manager dealing with some of the largest banks in the world, and as an entrepreneur establishing and running a successful branch office with Securities America. He holds a bachelor of science in international economics, with an emphasis on Asia, from UCLA. He speaks Mandarin Chinese and Spanish, in addition to English. Shawn received his law degree from Southwestern Law School, where he was on the Dean’s List. He is the former host of “Your Financial Fix” on KDOL 96.1 FM. Shawn is currently the CEO and Attorney for the Escapees RV Club.

Partnering with RV Clubs to Attract Road Warriors; Tuesday, Sept. 17; 1:05 p.m.

​Nick Mattera
Senior Director of Consumer Marketing
Brand USA

Nick Mattera is senior director, consumer marketing for Brand USA, the nation’s destination marketing organization with the mission of increasing international visitation to the United States, fueling the nation’s economy, and enhancing the image of the USA worldwide.

Nick oversees consumer marketing and social media campaigns and content development for Brand USA. Prior to Joining Brand USA, Nick has spent more than eight years working in the travel and hospitality industry, most recently serving as director, digital and social media marketing at Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing in the UAE and Senior Director of Marketing at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

An avid adventurer, Nick has traveled to 32 countries worldwide and visited 34 states. He is on a quest to visit all 59 national parks in the United States.

Many Voices – Telling the Story of the USA Through Film; Thursday, Sept. 19; 11:45 a.m.

Seleni Matus
Executive Director, International Institute of Tourism Studies
George Washington University

Seleni Matus is the Executive Director ofthe George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies. She has worked with governments and private sector in tourism destinations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean to develop and implement sustainable tourism plans and programs that have enhanced the quality of tourism offerings and have helped to ensure the long-term health of natural ecosystems. Seleni also has deep experience working with indigenous communities throughout the Americas to develop cultural heritage tourism. A native of Belize, she served as the country’s Director of Tourism where she oversaw the reorganization of the Belize Tourism Board in order to better meet the demands of a fiercely competitive global marketplace. She has co-authored several publications including Linking Communities, Tourism and Conservation: A Tourism Assessment Process and Indigenous People and the Travel Industry: Practical Global Guidelines to Good Practice.

Six-Steps to Honing Your Tribal Tourism Skills; Wednesday, Sept. 18; 4 p.m.

Erin McDaniel
Choctaw Nation
Director of Tourism and Choctaw Store
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

Erin McDaniel is a proud Choctaw Tribal Member who works as the Director of Tourism and Choctaw Store for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. After graduating with her Bachelors degree in Business Management/Hospitality Management, Erin began working in Choctaw Nation’s newly developed tourism department. Erin continued to earn her Professional Certification in Sustainable Tourism from George Washington University and her MBA from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. During the department’s life span, it has also taken on the Choctaw Welcome Center, Headquarters Gift Shop and the Tribal Discount Partner Program.

Erin is passionate about seeing the communities in their region grow and creating partnerships that are sustainable for the tribe and their partners.

Public Lands Success Stories; Tuesday, Sept. 17; 1 p.m.
Welcome Centers on Tribal Lands; Thursday, Sept. 19; 9 a.m.

Demetri B. Morris
Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Gaming Manager
Legendary Waters Resort & Casino

Demetri Morris has lived on the Red Cliff Reservation for most of his life. He started working in gaming in 1994 and then was hired at Legendary Waters eight years ago. He started attending Pow Wows and other cultural events when he was 13 years old, and after two years in sales at Legendary Waters, he created the Native American package for the resort. The package has been popular with non-Native customers and the resort has seen a consistent demand for group activities at the resort and also off-site.

Beat the Odds: Casinos Exploring Cultural Narratives; Wednesday, Sept. 18; 10:30 a.m.