Reservations across South Dakota are increasingly looking to visitors as a potential driver of economic development, according to officials involved in a statewide effort to reshape how tourism works on tribal lands. The South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance, which is working with reservation leaders and organizations, is trying to address early skepticism about welcoming outsiders while building experiences that residents say protect sacred spaces and reflect how Native communities live and see themselves today.
SDNTA officials said tourism has long carried negative associations in some reservations, where residents have expressed hesitancy about allowing outsiders into traditional or culturally significant spaces and a fear that tourism could become exploitation. Sarah Kills In Water, an SDNTA representative, said initial conversations required outreach and education because some community members believed the alliance was “selling our culture.”
Kills In Water said that approach helped change attitudes over time, describing how once education took hold, community members began to imagine new possibilities and ask what they personally could do. SDNTA leaders and partners also said the alliance’s broader goal is to develop tribal tourism in ways that residents describe as informative rather than extractive—an approach aimed at helping visitors understand Native history and culture without treating ceremonies or traditions as commodities.
In December, SDNTA said it received the $175,000 J.M. Kaplan Innovation Prize, one of 10 organizations chosen from more than 3,500 applicants to receive ongoing funding, training and resources. Rhea Waldman, SDNTA’s executive director, and Kills In Water said they want reservations to be viewed by visitors as destinations in their own right—comparable to landmarks such as Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Badlands National Park and Crazy Horse Memorial.
Waldman said SDNTA’s messaging focuses on highlighting what she described as distinct “gems” on every reservation, including differences in cultural pieces, stories and museums. She also tied the tourism concept to outdoor and land-based experiences, saying that opportunities that travelers might enjoy can also foster a connection to Indigenous homelands.
Kills In Water also said economic development is only one part of the work, and that tribal tourism can offer a path for cultural reconnection within communities. She said SDNTA’s intent is to reconnect people to their culture and support leadership development, while educating visitors “Not in a way that’s exploiting our culture, not selling our ceremonies,” and with a focus on telling visitors who Native communities are today, including acknowledging struggles while emphasizing that communities remain present and able to share their story.
Leaders also pointed to specific sites and history on tribal lands in South Dakota. The SDNTA representatives cited the Wounded Knee Memorial on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and noted that President Donald Trump signed legislation protecting the land. Waldman said visitors interested in the history of the country would find reservations trips in South Dakota particularly insightful, while also emphasizing that reservation tourism will always look different from other trips because most reservations are rural and because visitors encounter culturally grounded conversations when they visit historic sites or witness tribal traditions.
Sherry L. Rupert, CEO of the American Indigenous Tourism Association, said the experiences tourists are not expecting—especially when it comes to Native culture—are often the most rewarding. Rupert said visitors tend to go home with changed perspectives after being outside and learning about people who have lived in the region for thousands of years, and she described those experiences as something tourists share with family.
Despite the potential, SDNTA officials said barriers remain for many tribal nations seeking to develop tourism businesses and programs. Waldman pointed to geography and infrastructure challenges, noting that in South Dakota reservations and trust land make up more than 12% of the land and that population centers are few, which can complicate travel. She also said support services may not always be sufficient for visitor groups, including the availability of meals and restaurants and the impact of being far from other options.
Officials also described the economics of tourism as a challenge built around demand and supply. Waldman said that if a community wants to build tourism and residents are trying to develop businesses, it still needs an influx of tourists and their dollars to sustain those business owners—creating what she called a “chicken-and-the-egg” problem, including uncertainty about how to build both demand and supply at the same time.
Another challenge, she said, is balancing visitor interest with protections for sacred spaces, with comfort levels with tourist engagement varying among tribes. Waldman said ongoing tourism planning therefore requires tailored plans for each tribe. She also cited bus tour operator Trafalgar, which launched a “National Parks and Native Trails of the Dakotas” trip in 2022 with stops on reservations including Pine Ridge, Rosebud and Standing Rock, and said partnerships like that can help provide visibility for experiences among potential visitors.
SDNTA leaders also said state and federal support can matter for whether tourism efforts reach broader audiences. The article said in 2016 Republican Sen. John Thune co-sponsored the bipartisan NATIVE Act—described as the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act—which includes provisions to ensure tribal nations are represented among federal agencies working within tourism, support infrastructure development, and collect and analyze data related to tribal tourism. Thune said the Senate unanimously approved the legislation and that South Dakota should do what it can to help celebrate and recognize contributions from tribal communities.
Rupert said collaboration with state and federal tourism agencies is important for sustained exposure of tribal experiences, and she said support from South Dakota’s destination marketing organization or state tourism office is necessary so Indigenous offerings are included among the destinations promoted. Travel South Dakota did not respond to requests for comment for the story, but Waldman said working with the state’s tourism office has helped SDNTA understand what visitors want, how to market experiences and how to use data.
Kills In Water and Waldman said the ultimate aim is to create connections between visitors and Native communities that reflect authenticity rather than outsiders’ assumptions. Kills In Water said SDNTA hopes guests see reservations “for who we are,” not for what visitors have been told by others, and to share stories with anyone who comes with an interest in learning.