Session 1: Engaging Responsible Visitors Through Your Story
February 3 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Nevada’s Indian Territory (NIT) has launched a new downloadable navigation app, Explore Native Nevada. The app features comprehensive information on the 28 Indigenous Tribes located throughout Nevada, including a calendar of events, cultural fact sheets, curated itineraries, a dedicated YouTube channel, and more than 70 destinations to explore across Nevada’s Indian Territory. Travelers can also create and customize their own itineraries for a more personalized experience.
NIT’s vision is “Changing the world through eco-cultural tourism of the Great Basin.” Through a unique blend of ecotourism opportunities, natural beauty, abundant wildlife, and the living cultures of the Great Basin Indigenous Peoples, Nevada’s Indian Territory offers authentic and meaningful eco-cultural travel experiences.
Nevada’s Indian Territory (www.NevadasIndianTerritory.com) applies the principles of sustainable destination planning and marketing, guided by clearly defined sustainability pillars and best practices. These guiding principles support regenerative, responsible, and culturally respectful travel that enhances the health of the land and the well-being of the Great Basin Indigenous Peoples.
Welcome to Nevada’s Indian Territory!
Ben Rupert (Duck Valley Shoshone-Paiute and Washoe), Treasurer, Nevada’s Indian Territory
Ben Rupert, of Duck Valley Shoshone-Paiute and Washoe descent, serves on the Nevada’s Indian Territory leadership team, the marketing arm of the Nevada Commission on Tourism. He has led Nevada’s Indian Territory efforts to support destination development across Great Basin tribal communities.
A Native dancer and traditional artist, Ben is committed to sharing his culture through presentations, dancing, fishing, hunting, traditional art, and stewarding Great Basin traditions.
Ben recently retired from the City of Reno Fire Department after 33 years in the fire service. He is married and has three sons and three grandchildren. He graduated from Oregon State University and recently earned a master’s in sustainable tourism from Arizona State University. He also served in the U.S. Army as an Airborne infantryman.
Tiffany Stonecipher, Office Manager and Job Coordinator, Charter Advertising / Design, Inc.
Tiffany oversees creative projects and marketing development. Over the past several years, she has worked closely with Nevada’s Indian Territory (NIT) to develop and implement brand strategies across digital and print platforms, creating engaging content that connects visitors with authentic Indigenous stories. In addition to coordinating many of NIT’s marketing initiatives, Tiffany manages the organization’s website, NevadasIndianTerritory.com, including its interactive map and mobile app.
Dawnielle Tehama (Moderator), Education and Business Development Director, American Indigenous Tourism Association
Dawnielle Tehama is a Modoc tourism professional and an enrolled citizen of the Klamath Tribes with deep experience in stewardship, destination development, and Indigenous tourism. She serves as Education and Business Development Director for the American Indigenous Tourism Association, following her work as a senior associate principal at Coraggio Group, where she supported strategic planning and community engagement across the tourism sector. As a destination management organization (DMO) leader, she advanced regenerative travel efforts and diversity initiatives grounded in community priorities.
After law school, Tehama launched and operated multiple small businesses before discovering her passion for tourism. She helped establish a DMO in southern Oregon and served as a liaison to her tribe. Her career also includes overseeing global marketing for the Hualapai Tribe at Grand Canyon West, contributing to early economic development planning for the Hopi Tribe, and collaborating with the Grand Ronde, Siletz, and Klamath Tribes on a variety of tourism and economic growth initiatives.
She holds a Class III gaming license in three states and has presented on Indigenous tourism for global organizations, including The World Travel and Tourism Council. Her credentials include recognition as a Certified Diversity Tourism Professional, Certified Autism Specialist, graduate of the Oregon Tourism Leadership Academy, and Woman of the Year from the National Tour Association. She chairs the National Tour Association’s DEI Advisory Council, is a member of the Tourism Cares Program Committee, and has served as a Climate Champion within the Expedia Sustainable Destination DMO program.
In all her work, Tehama remains dedicated to unifying stakeholder voices while promoting stewardship that sustains communities for generations.