Commerce publishes Indian Country Guide to grow tribal tourism

From Montana Department of Commerce

HELENA — The Department of Commerce has published a new visitor guide to Indian Country, an early success of the recently formed Indian Country Tourism Region.

The department’s latest project to grow tribal tourism in Montana, the guide will be used both as a promotional tool and a resource for travelers already here.

As one of Montana’s leading industries, tourism is an economic opportunity for Indian Country — especially given travelers’ interest in exploring sites and experiences related to Native Americans.

“Native American culture and history are central to the Montana experience,” said Commerce Director Tara Rice. “We’ve created this guide in consultation with the tribes to share appropriate parts of their culture with the millions of visitors who come to Montana each year.”

In addition to educational information about each tribe, the guide features three road trip routes with various points of interest to see while exploring Montana’s spectacular unspoiled nature.

The Warrior Trail Highway starts in Billings and features several sites around southeast Montana highlighting the Crow and Northern Cheyenne tribes.

Peaks and Valleys starts in Missoula and covers points of interest for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the Blackfeet Tribe.

The Sleeping Buffalo Trail starts in Great Falls and runs across the Hi-Line, featuring the Little Shell, Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and Fort Peck Indian Reservation tribes.

The guide will be distributed through visitor information centers across the state and available as a digital download at https://www.visitmt.com/guidebook.html/.