Community Navigator Program

American Indigenous Tourism Association in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), has developed a Community Navigator Initiative to connect American Indigenous communities that are at high risk for wildfires with opportunities that align with healthy forests, recreation and economic development. Our work is intended to build capacity and support navigation of the breadth of opportunities across programs and complexity of funding opportunities.  This work includes:

• Supporting funding opportunity identification.
• Supporting the completion of high-quality grant, contract, and partnership applications;
• Supporting post-application financial and reporting compliance; and
• Supporting capacity building within Native Nations and communities to find and apply for USFS grants and other funding opportunities on their own in the future.

“We are excited to partner with the USDA Forest Service on this important initiative,” said Sherry L. Rupert (Paiute/Washoe), CEO, American Indigenous Tourism Association. “This partnership allows us to expand our reach and empower Indigenous communities with the tools and resources they need to promote healthy forests and lands. Healthy forests are vital not only for environmental sustainability but also for the economic vitality of Native Nations, where recreation and cultural tourism can truly flourish. Through the Community navigator program, we will provide essential guidance to Native Nations in securing grant funding and building the capacity needed to ensure that their tourism and recreation enterprises can thrive in harmony with their cultural values and the environment.”

American Indigenous Tourism Association will be providing a variety of program supports including outreach, technical assistance and training activities, webinars and dedicated sessions at the American Indigenous Tourism Conference to support the program.

American Indigenous Tourism Association is also working with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and with the Alaska Native Heritage Center to develop trainings specific to alignment with healthy forests, recreation and economic development. The pilot launch of both these training programs will be at the 2025 American Indigenous Tourism Conference.