By Sean Cruz
Executive Director, 1000Nations
Portland, Oregon–
Travel Portland is the Portland Metropolitan Area’s visitor association, and plays a key role in attracting events like the Native American Music Awards “The Nammys” to the city. The mission of Travel Portland is “to strengthen the region’s economy by marketing the metropolitan Portland region as a preferred destination for meetings, conventions and leisure travel.”
In 2011, Travel Portland generously contributed a $ 25,000 grant to support the efforts of the Portland – NAMA Host Committee to bring The Nammys here this Fall. These monies were dedicated to cover the deposits necessary to reserve either Veterans Memorial Coliseum or the Rose Garden to stage the event.
Owing to the short timeline, as the Host Committee began organizing in late Spring 2011, the state of the nation’s economy, and the generosity of the Seneca, who have hosted the Nammys at Niagara Falls for several years, we decided to forego the Travel Portland grant this year, and begin work to bring the Nammys to Portland in 2012. We will reapply for the grant.
We are very grateful for Travel Portland’s support for The Nammys, and for Making the Invisible Visible in Portland.
Travel Portland has developed a new website featuring Native American Cultural Communities in Portland, Oregon, and here are the links.
Please take the time to look through the new website, and your comments will be appreciated:
Native American Cultural Communities in Portland, Oregon
In this section:
History
Things to See & Do
Events
This section was produced in collaboration with 1000 Nations and the Oregon Native American Chamber.
Portland is home to the ninth largest Native American population in the United States.
Portland’s urban Native community is descended from more than 380 tribes, and there are nine sovereign Native American nations located throughout Oregon. Each nation inhabits their own reservation and welcomes visitors in their own way, according to their respective customs and traditions.
Travel Portland website:
1000nations 