Portland, Ore. (November 2, 2026) – The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, is honored to celebrate Native American Heritage Month by announcing the signing of formal Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with seven of the nine federally recognized Tribes in Oregon. The first agreements of their kind, the MOUs formalize the valuable partnership between the Tribes and the tourism industry while strengthening commitments to promote and develop tourism within Tribal lands in Oregon.
This official partnership between Travel Oregon and the Tribes has been several years in the making. In close collaboration with the Tribal Tourism Working Group, Travel Oregon published the Travel Guide to Oregon Indian Country in 2023, and the newly updated Experience Indigenous Oregon travel guide in 2026. The updated guide includes information on each Tribe’s culture and heritage as well as tourism offerings. Experience Indigenous Oregon is available to order for free on the Travel Oregon website or you can pick one up in any Travel Oregon Welcome Center along with an associated map.
“Our partnerships with Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes reflect Travel Oregon’s commitment to building relationships rooted in respect, listening and shared purpose,” said Lisa Itel, Director of Industry Relations for Travel Oregon. “We are grateful for the leadership and trust of our Tribal partners and for the opportunity to share Indigenous Oregon in ways that honor Tribal communities and their priorities.”
Oregon’s art, culture and heritage is ranked as one of the top five visitor experiences in Travel Oregon’s latest Visitor Profile Study and sits as the fourth highest motivator for coming to Oregon. And that economic impact for Tribal communities is real. For example, with nearly 70 percent of Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort’s employees being Warm Springs Tribal members, the Resort invested more than $2 million in wages in its first year, generating more than $500,000 in revenue for the Warm Springs Tribe in 2025.
According to the latest report from ECOnorthwest, Tribal casinos and resorts across Oregon employed 4,439 workers and supported the employment of another 662 jobs for their Tribal governments. In total, these workers were paid $378.9 million in wages and benefits.
“Tribal tourism is an important part of Oregon’s economy and what I like about these agreements is that they build on a relationship between the Tribes and Travel Oregon that’s been developing for years,” said Travis Hill, Chief Operating Officer Umpqua Indian Development Corp. and Vice Chair of Oregon Tourism Commission. “They give us another opportunity to keep growing Tribal tourism while making sure each Tribe can share its story in its own way.”
To learn more about ongoing Tribal tourism offerings across the state, order a free copy of Experience Indigenous Oregon here or view the digital version here.
For more information on Indigenous events this fall, visit the Travel Oregon website.