The American Indigenous Tourism Association (AIT) and the U.S. Forest Service have opened applications for the FY 2026 NATIVE Act Grant, offering up to $50,000 to Tribal Nations, Tribal Enterprises, and Indigenous nonprofits working at the intersection of cultural heritage and public lands.
The grants are issued under the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act, federal legislation aimed at expanding Indigenous-led tourism, interpretation, and recreation on and near federally managed lands. AIT — the only national organization dedicated to advancing cultural heritage tourism across Native Nations and communities — has partnered with the Forest Service since 2018, when the two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on NATIVE Act activities. A formal partnership agreement to distribute grant funding followed in 2022.
To be eligible, applicants must be Tribal Nations, Tribal organizations, or Indigenous nonprofits that border or have historic ties to U.S. Forest Service managed lands. Funded projects must support cultural tourism, interpretation, or recreation initiatives consistent with the purposes of the NATIVE Act. All applications are due May 1, 2026, with projects required to be completed by May 1, 2027. Final reports are due no later than May 31, 2027; no deadline extensions will be granted.
Toby Bloom, the Forest Service’s National Program Manager for Travel, Tourism and Interpretation, noted that the agency manages 193 million acres of public lands — virtually all of which are Traditional Homelands, sacred sites, or treaty lands stewarded by tribes for centuries. The Forest Service welcomes 168 million recreation visitors annually, making it a natural partner for expanding Indigenous cultural tourism.
“We are pleased to work with the American Indigenous Tourism Association to provide direct tourism and recreation grants to our tribal partners,” Bloom said in a press release. “to help us shape how we value, co-manage, and steward our Nation’s grasslands and forests.”
AIT CEO Sherry L. Rupert (Paiute/Washoe) emphasized the importance of funding flowing directly to tribal communities. “Tribal communities know best what is needed and how to implement projects that honor their culture, support their economies, and benefit their people,” she said in a press release.
AIT, which has spent more than 27 years building capacity for Indigenous-owned tourism enterprises, will administer the grants.
Click here to learn more and apply.
