Travel Oregon has launched a new visitor guide titled Experience Indigenous Oregon, collaboratively developed with representatives from Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes. This guide emphasizes Indigenous culture and heritage, showcasing Tribal tourism assets such as museums, cultural centers, casino resorts, and outdoor activities, while providing context about the history and traditions of the Indigenous communities that have inhabited Oregon for millennia.
The guide highlights the significant historical ties of over 50 Tribes that fished Oregon’s rivers and includes sites with cultural markers, like petroglyphs and ancient artifacts. Bobbie Conner, director of the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, noted that the guide aims to foster engagement with Indigenous histories and contemporary communities.
The publication, previously called Oregon Guide to Indian Country, has been renamed to reflect a more modern perspective. It includes respectful guidelines for visitors concerning Indigenous lands and cultures, and it features profiles on each of Oregon’s Tribes.
The cover photo was shot by a Warm Springs Tribal photographer and highlights Kahmussa Green, who represents new Tribal leadership and advocacy. Lisa Norton, chief administrative officer of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, emphasized the importance of Tribes narrating their own stories.
The guide is accessible online and can be ordered for free from Travel Oregon, with printed copies available at welcome centers, Tribal casinos, and hotels throughout the state.
