AThe idea for a Native American-focused educational tour came to us from our previous Nation travelers, people who had joined us on our Civil Rights program.  They asked us if we could, working with tribal leaders, create a thoughtful, respectful, and stimulating program that would begin to look at some of the current community initiatives, energetic activist work, legal challenges and cultural engagement of Native peoples in the U.S.  A journey where we could hear firsthand from the community about their past struggles, their current lives and their aspirations for the future.

Our goal for this program is to listen and to learn: to hear directly from Native Americans without the questionable filters of history writers, mainstream media representations, even well-intentioned progressive journalists.  We reached out to tribal leaders and learned that many in the community are anxious to be heard, to challenge misconceptions, and to share their good work and promising programs. 

Our itinerary focuses on just a few geographical areas: the Dakotas and Colorado, where we hope to gain insight into important aspects of the Hidatsa, Mandan, Lakota, Dakota, Ute, Navajo, Apache and Kiowa Nations.

It’s a rich nine-day program that just begins to scratch the surface of these complex cultures.  We’ll travel through dramatic Western landscapes peppered with rich historical sites as we meet with community and tribal leaders, story-tellers, artists, musicians and activists  – focusing on listening to what they want to tell us, on understanding their hopes for the future, and facing the shameful legacy of the U.S.’s brutal history of eradication and oppression. We hope to have the privilege of hearing singular voices that have been silenced for too long. 

Tour Hosts

Dakota Wind Goodhouse: Dakota is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and a Native American Studies instructor at United Tribes Technical College, which is owned and operated by the three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold, the Spirit Lake Tribe, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. Dakota will be with the group from Bismarck to Denver.

Bird Red: A Southern Ute tribal member and a Ute singer who works at the Southern Ute Community Center, Bird was part of the documentary “Spirit of the Peaks” a film about the struggle for balance between two worlds. Bird Red will join the group in Denver for the remainder of the program. 

See the itinerary for complete details. Questions? Contact us via the form at the bottom of this page or call us at 212-209-5401.

Highlights:

• Visit the Standing Rock Reservation and meet with Phyllis Young, a legendary Lakota activist and one of the founders of the #NoDAPL movement.
• Enjoy intimate performances of native songs on flute, guitar, and drum with musician Sequoia Crosswhite, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux and descendent of Chief of War Eagle and Chief Swift Cloud.
• Visit unique geographic wonders like Wind Cave National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park, and Chimney Rock, places important in Native American history and several emergence stories.
• Meet John EchoHawk, a Native American attorney, founder of the Native American Rights Fund, and a leading member of the Native American self-determination movement.
• Take a behind the scenes tour with Sky Ute Tribal Council member, Linda Baker, at the beautiful Southern Ute Cultural Center and learn about the economy of the modern Ute and their experience with casino gaming.

“An unprecedented trip – spiritually uplifting, emotionally draining, intense and amazing!” – 2022 Traveler

See the itinerary for complete details. Questions? Contact us via the form at the bottom of this page or call us at 212-209-5401.

100% of the proceeds from our travel programs support The Nation’s journalism.

The Nation purchases carbon offsets to cover the emissions generated by our travel program in order to help mitigate effects on the climate.

Note that accompanying experts are subject to change based on availability.