Tourism

@ALWAYSINDIGENOUSMEDIA

REGENERATIVE VISITATION OF PEOPLE TO ALASKAN COMMUNITIES FUNDS PROJECTS THAT IMPROVE ECOSYSTEMS, ELEVATE LOCAL ECONOMIES, AND PROMOTE MEANINGFUL AND RESPONSIBLE VISITOR EXPERIENCES.

Regenerative tourism seeks to enhance the places visited rather than just minimize the harm done to them by visitors. Tourists can play an important role in supporting community driven projects that proactively improve ecosystems, elevate local economies, and promote meaningful and responsible visitor experiences. Regenerative tourism is possible when tourism operators are locals who are embedded in the values, priorities, and systems of accountability of a specific place.

Tourism can provide career opportunities to culture bearers, provide fair compensation to local artisans, fund language revitalization, and strengthen young people’s sense of pride and value of their culture. It teaches a true and holistic story of Alaska. However, when done poorly, tourism perpetuates romanticized expectations stereotypes of Alaska and its Indigenous peoples. Regenerative tourism generously compensates Native communities and elders who have full agency in determining what and how they share their knowledge.

Regenerative Tourism is rooted in Indigenous values and knowledge systems that share the common belief that we are the stewards of the land, the animals, and the oceans. Indigenous knowledge states that everything is interconnected. Therefore the well-being of the environment is the well-being of the people.

The Tlingit, Haida, Eyak, and Tmishian peoples of Southeast Alaska lived on these lands for over 10,000 years. We believe that we can protect, enable, and grow strategies that benefit communities, cultures, and ecosystems of Southeast Alaska by leaning on their Indigenous values, as well as benefiting the tourism industry economically.

These values upheld their culture, livelihood, lands, oceans, and wildlife. They understood that they were the stewards of the ecosystem, that it is all connected. When we apply these values to our own businesses, we become stewards of the ecosystem, resulting in an industry that is regenerative.

Mary Goddard, Sustainable Southeast Partnership

THE ORGANIZED VILLAGE OF KASSAN INDIGENOUS PLACE NAMES PROJECT

arranges tours so people can visit the community and walk through the Totem Historic District, visit a traditional Haida longhouse, and watch artisans at work in the Native Carving Shed, all while supporting selfdetermination and cultural revival. is installing local Dena'ina place name signs throughout Anchorage as part of a movement to bring Dena'ina culture to the environment and is a step towards honoring the eternal Dena'ina landscape of Alaska’s major city. is an Alaska Native & family owned cruise company. It is the only locally owned small ship cruise operator in Alaska.

ALASKA DREAM CRUISES