Territory of AkwesasneThe Akwesasne Tourism Working Group
(ATWG) is pleased to announce the launch of our Experience
Akwesasne Interactive Map, which is now accessible at www.experienceakwesasne.com
a digital tour featuring our communitys rich artistic,
historical, and cultural heritage. Visitors can now use the map to
plan their visit to Akwesasne and navigate local points of interest
using their smartphones. The digital map weaves visitors to locally
owned businesses that offer traditional arts and services; along with
local lore, historical sites, and ecological treasures that can only
be truly appreciated first hand by visiting Akwesasne.
Two launch events have been scheduled to showcase the interactive
map. The first on Seskehkó:wa/September 27, 2016 from 4:00
p.m. 6:00 p.m. at the Experience Akwesasne Welcome Centre
located at 167 International Road on Kawehnoke (Cornwall Island).
The second will take place on Seskehkó:wa/September 29, 2016
from 4:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. at the Akwesasne Cultural Center
Library & Museum (a.k.a. Akwesasne Cultural Center) located
at 321 State Route 37 in the southern portion of Akwesasne.
Along with featuring local businesses and showcasing our acclaimed
artisans, the interactive map helps educate visitors, Native and
non-Native, on the cultural and historical significance of the Akwesasne
Mohawk Territoryutilizing Mohawk place names to support the
strengthening of our language. It is a product of community collaboration
that draws from the extensive collection of historical images from
the Akwesasne Cultural Center Library & Museum.
A soft launch of the interactive map occurred at the Experience
Akwesasne Welcome Centre on Seskehkó:wa/September 13, 2016
and brought leadership, business owners, and community stakeholders
together for feedback and input. If you are an artist, owner of
a business providing a culturally based service, local historian,
storyteller, or elder; the Working Group also wants to hear from
you so your contribution to the cultural vitality of the community
can be included on the map.
Development of this interactive map was made possible through
the generous support of the University of California, Davis Humanities
Center and their Mellon Public Scholars Program in partnership with
the Akwesasne Cultural Center Library & Museum and the ATWG.
For more information, please contact Lindsay. M. Tarbell, SRMT
Economic Development Planner and Chair of the ATWG at (518) 651-4073
or lindsay.tarbell@srmt-nsn.gov.
About the Akwesasne Tourism Development Initiative:
The need to develop tourism in the Territory of Akwesasne was
identified as a priority in the Akwesasne Comprehensive Community
Development Plan (SRMT 2008) and in the Akwesasne Comprehensive
Community Plan (MCA 2016). As a result, the Akwesasne Tourism Community
Development Initiative was developed through the collaborative efforts
of the following representatives that comprise the Akwesasne Tourism
Working Group (ATWG): Native North American Travelling College (NNATC),
Akwesasne Cultural Center Library & Museum (ACCM), Onkwehon:we
Arts Council (OAC), Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs (MNCC), Akwesasne
Area Management Board (AAMB), Mohawk Council of Akwesasne (MCA),
and Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT).
The Akwesasne Tourism Working Group is guiding the identification
and successful completion of several community tourism projects,
events, plans and publications; including the Akwesasne Tourism
Strategic Action Plan (ATSAP 2016) that contains several objectives
being worked on by ATWG sub-groups. In coordination with the Akwesasne
Cultural Center, the ATWG is hosting public workshops from Kentenhkó:wa/November
17-19, 2016 to develop community beautification projects through
the sponsorship of The Citizens' Institute on Rural Design
Award; a National Endowment for the Arts leadership initiative in
partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Project for
Public Spaces, Inc., and the Orton Family Foundation. The Beautify
Akwesasne Pilot Project is also accepting applications at this time
with work ending Kentenhkó:wa/November 2016.
|