- The State Department of Pennsylvania's DCED announced it will develop a plan to include more Indigenous history in the tourism industry
- The DCED admits that history-focused tourism has long had a blind spot for pre-colonial history
- Lehigh University hosted the announcement, and its Institute for Indigenous Studies will be involved in the plan
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — On a particularly scenic part of Lehigh University's campus, near the Alumni Memorial Building, members of the Prairie Band Potawatomi stood under a wilted U.S. flag, chanting and playing hand drums.
The song they were singing was a song of celebration. A ceremonial tune, with lyrics that don't easily translate to conversational English. Jason Hale, a researcher at Lehigh and member of the Neshnabé tribe who was one of the singers, explained it like this:
"So the song we sang, it's a celebration of what we've done today, and hopefully, to kind of give us a good start to this partnership and to carry on hope that everything goes in a good way," Hale said.
On top of being a researcher, Hale is the Director of Community Engagement at the Institute for Indigenous Studies at Lehigh.
He brought members of his immediate family, members of the Prairie Band Potawatomi, to speak at the news conference, perform traditional songs, and have a presence at an initiative that is very much about them.
Indigenous Peoples Cultural and Heritage Tourism Initiative
The purpose of the event at Lehigh was to formally announce the Indigenous Peoples Cultural and Heritage Tourism Initiative. It's a state-sponsored project, put on by the state Department of Community and Economic Development that aims to make an earnest effort to include Indigenous history in Pennsylvania's historical tourism industry.
Friday's announcement did not include many specifics, but instead an announcement that a formal plan would be made to tackle the blind spot of pre-colonial history in PA's tourism sector.
"We have known for a very long time that the work that we do around our history is incomplete, and today is the first step in the Pennsylvania tourism office trying to tell a more complete and inclusive story of our history here in Pennsylvania."Carrie Lepore, Deputy Secretary of Tourism, DCED
The announcement also included mention that a grant had been made by the Appalachian Regional Commission to the Pennsylvania Tourism Office to help fund the initiative.
DCED Deputy Secretary of Tourism Carrie Lepore said "We have known for a very long time that the work that we do around our history is incomplete. And today is the first step in the Pennsylvania tourism office trying to tell a more complete and inclusive story of our history here in Pennsylvania."
Lepore said the initiative came after her office did a deep dive into why people visit Pennsylvania.
"We've done a lot of research at the Pennsylvania tourism office to figure out who comes to visit Pennsylvania, why they come to spend their time traveling and touring and learning about Pennsylvania," Lepore said.
"It is overdue, I suppose. But, you know, to talk like that isn't — we want to move on in a positive way. And just be glad that we're here in the present moment. You know, we just have to keep moving forward. And I think dwelling how long overdue it was, might take away from just what we're doing now. And so that's where we want to focus our energy on right now."Jason Hale, senior research scientist and director of Community Engagement at the Institute for Indigenous Studies, Lehigh University
"And through all of our research, we've discovered that Pennsylvania is best known for our history, our beautiful natural outdoor resources, and our cities, also our food," Lepore added.
She said she believes it's only fair to address a part of that history that is often avoided — life in Pennsylvania before colonialism.
Long overdue?
When asked if such an initiative was long overdue, Hale said, "It is overdue, I suppose.
"But, you know, to talk like that isn't — we want to move on in a positive way. And just be glad that we're here in the present moment. You know, we just have to keep moving forward.
"And I think dwelling how long overdue it was, might take away from just what we're doing now. And so that's where we want to focus our energy on right now.
"We're just happy to be here and celebrate and to kind of bring our culture and what we do and some of our culture and just to share it here with the Lehigh and the Bethlehem community."
Additionally, Lehigh University's Institute for Indigenous Studies is holding an open house Friday night with Indigenous dancing, food, tours and a book launch. The event takes place at 524 Brodhead Ave., Bethlehem, and the lawn across the street from 5 to 7 p.m.
