Proceedings of 3rd International Conference on Strategic and Global Studies, ICSGS 2019, 6-7 November 2019, Sari Pacific, Jakarta, Indonesia

Research Article

Indigenizing Tourism: Native American Representations in Contemporary Travel Literature

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  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/eai.6-11-2019.2297372,
        author={Bayu  Kristianto},
        title={Indigenizing Tourism: Native American Representations in Contemporary Travel Literature},
        proceedings={Proceedings of 3rd International Conference on Strategic and Global Studies, ICSGS 2019, 6-7 November 2019, Sari Pacific, Jakarta, Indonesia},
        publisher={EAI},
        proceedings_a={ICSGS},
        year={2020},
        month={11},
        keywords={indigenous indigenizing tourism travel literature travel guidebooks native american representations authenticity agency},
        doi={10.4108/eai.6-11-2019.2297372}
    }
    
  • Bayu Kristianto
    Year: 2020
    Indigenizing Tourism: Native American Representations in Contemporary Travel Literature
    ICSGS
    EAI
    DOI: 10.4108/eai.6-11-2019.2297372
Bayu Kristianto1,*
  • 1: American Studies, School of Strategic and Global Studies, Universitas Indonesia
*Contact email: baladewabayu@gmail.com

Abstract

This paper aims at investigating the ways in which contemporary travel literature deals with the search for authenticity in Indian country. It responds to the questions: How does contemporary travel literature deal with the search for authenticity in Indian communities? How do travel guidebooks present and “package“ the history of colonization in Indian country? How does contemporary travel literature represent the agency of Indian people in responding to touristic practices that do not conform to indigenous traditional customs? The analysis focuses on an area in the United States with a heavy concentration of Native communities, i.e., the Southwest. Fodor’s American Southwest, Lonely Planet’s Southwest USA, and The Rough Guide to Southwest USA will be critically examined. I argue that while there are different representations of Indianness in various travel guidebooks, the agency of Indian people should be given more prominence in the ways that their representations are made through tourism. Furthermore, to encourage visitors to conduct touristic practices properly and respectfully, as they travel to indigenous lands, these travel guidebooks should take into account indigenous people’s worldviews and epistemology