Bill Thomas of the Route 66: The Road Ahead recently requested that regular updates about the group’s activities be posted on Route 66 News.
I agreed to do so on a monthly or bimonthly basis. Here is the second report, printed in full below the jump (content has been lightly edited).
The first report, from early December, is here.
Tribal Advisory Group Established by the Route 66: The Road Ahead Partnership
The Route 66: The Road Ahead Partnership and the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) are pleased to announce the formation of the Route 66: The Road Ahead Partnership’s Tribal Advisory Group.
The purpose of the Tribal Advisory Group is to provide The Road Ahead Partnership’s Board of Directors with a tribal perspective as it works to achieve its mission. Route 66 crosses the North America continent, and in doing so travels through more than 25 tribal nations. It is important the tribal community play a role in helping achieve the mission of The Road Ahead Partnership by contributing its experience, insight, and knowledge. The Road Ahead Partnership believes a tribal perspective is crucial as it works to tell a full and accurate story of the history of Route 66, to preserve Route 66 historic assets, to promote/market Route 66, to help develop the economies of the communities and tribal nations through which the route runs, and as it conducts research designed to educate people so they better understand Route 66.
Tribal Advisory Group members include:
- Emerson Vallo, chairman – Emerson lives in New Mexico and is a member of the Pueblo of Acoma and a Southwest Board Representative on AIANTA’s board of directors
- Vincent Romero – Vincent lives in Chicago and works at the Chicago American Indian Center
- James Surveyor – James, a Hopi tribal member, lives in Arizona and is operations manager for the Moenkopi Developers Corp. and is an at-large representative on AIANTA’s board of directors
- Julia Bogany – Julia, a member of the Gagrieleno-Tongva Tribe, lives in California and serves on the Tribal Council and as its cultural consultant
- Lisa Snell – Lisa, a Cherokee, lives in Oklahoma and is publisher/editor of the Native American Times and Native Oklahoma
Three years ago, the National Park Service and the World Monuments Fund helped facilitate a meeting of Route 66 stakeholders in Anaheim, California. The result of that meeting was the creation of the Route 66: The Road Ahead Partnership. The mission of the Road Ahead Partnership is to revitalize and sustain Route 66 as a national icon for the benefit of all Route 66 communities, travelers and businesses/attractions through collaborative partnerships focused on promotion, preservation, research/education and economic development.
AIANTA is a national, nonprofit organization representing the 567 federally recognized tribes. It is dedicated to advancing Indian Country tourism across the United States, serving as the voice and resource for tribes and tribal organizations engaged in cultural tourism. AIANTA helps tribes develop, sustain and grow tourism destinations through technical assistance, training and educational resources. To learn more, please visit www.aianta.org. For current updates, like AIANTA on Facebook and follow it on Twitter (@OfficialAIANTA).
Information about the Route 66: The Road Ahead Partnership can be found on its website: https://sites.google.com/site/66roadahead/ .
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