Tapping into Turtle Mountains tourism

Jun 10, 2023

Larren Delorme takes a horse for a training run on the track at Chippewa Downs May 31. The racing season began June 3.

BELCOURT – A tribal water park opening in August will be one more asset in the pocket of tourism promoters looking to turn the Turtle Mountains into a destination.

The longstanding Turtle Mountain Tourism Association is reviving its efforts post-COVID to draw traffic to both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border by capitalizing on the region's scenic, cultural and historical attributes.

"There's so much that can be done but it just needs to be coordinated. I would hope this organization can do that," said Mae Streich of Bottineau, who spearheads the association. "I think we’ve done a lot so far but we have a long ways to go, and the main thing that we need to do is to combine the tribal culture."

Jamie Azure, chairman of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, said it is essential that all groups work together with respect.

"It's a respectful partnership, moving forward toward our common goal, and that common goal is healthy communities. We get to be healthy communities by being stable communities," he said. "We want to be economically stable by bringing in that outside dollar, which then we can reinvest back into our communities."

Tribal tourism consultant Les Thomas and Sky Dancer Excutive Assistant Cheryl Hanlan and General Manager Randy Brunelle, shown in Brunelle's office May 31, are among individuals on the front lines in growing tourism in the Turtle Mountains.

Tribal plans

The Turtle Mountain tribal council adopted a 10-year economic development plan for the Sky Dancer Casino & Resort property that is guiding its tourism efforts. Although the pandemic was a setback, the plan remains in motion. The first phase of the plan – water and trampoline parks – will be open by fall.

The indoor waterpark under construction includes a lazy river,a retractable ceiling over the water slides and private cabanas for parties. Wall panels around the water park will detail the tribe's history.

Upcoming projects are a bowling alley and theater, Azure said. Additional future plans include an RV park, civic center and new rodeo grounds.

"The way we have it planned out is that every year something new will be starting and something new will be opening, until it is completed," Azure said.

A crew works in the new conservatory at the International Peace Garden, which will house 5,000 unique cacti species and cultivars when it opens at the end of this year.

Les Thomas, the tribe's tourism consultant, said a larger tourism vision includes an amphitheater at the Heritage Center and a more than $2 million investment into a new arbor for a powwow that has outgrown its space. The dream includes a winter park with snowboarding and tubing.

"It's more of that year-round point of destination, but always hands-on, family friendly, personal experiences," said Thomas, who also is vice president of the North Dakota Native Tourism Alliance. "All the tribes are developing their amenities now to become more family friendly, so when tourism comes in, it doesn't just come on I-94 to Bismarck, and they visit the Heritage Center and they think they’ve seen Indian country. We want them to come up and experience hands-on experiences on the reservations themselves. The tourism companies that we talked to and gave presentations to, their clients from all over the world want hands-on, outdoor experiences."

Tourism

and culture

To promote the outdoors, the Turtle Mountain tribe began a project about six years ago to develop park land around a series of lakes. Working with the state to stock the lakes with fish and build docks and restrooms, tribal members have engaged in the clean up, creating a sense of pride and ownership, Azure said.

Jill Schramm/MDNA white buffalo bull grazes among a Chippewa Band herd on the Turlte Mountain Reservation May 31.

"It starts with kids going out there and putting the sweat equity into rejuvenating our lakes and our parks and then taking ownership of those lakes and parks. That's how we invest back into our communities," he said.

Developing its buffalo herd is another way the tribe is promoting both tourism and culture. The 82-head herd has been growing, with calf births raising the count to about 120 animals at the end of May. A prime attraction is the herd's white buffalo bull and three white buffalo calves born last year – an unheard of circumstance given the rarity of such births.

Herd manager Murton Gillis has been working to develop and strengthen the bloodline while also using the buffalo to connect youth with their culture. He has taught traditional methods of buffalo processing and encourages exposure to the animals.

"When I was growing up, I never had that opportunity," he said. "I told my boss when I got this job, I’m bringing this back into the school system because I think that's something that's lost."

Things to do

Another draw to the Turtle Mountains is the horse racing offered at Chippewa Downs, one of only two horse racing venues in the state. Adding to the attraction is the popular Indian Relay Races event.

A new public address system is the latest of the investments into the facility. Funds are being sought for a grandstand replacement.

Meanwhile, the tribe has invested in modernizing its casino to continue to attract gamblers in a market that has become much more competitive, particularly with legalization of electronic gaming in North Dakota. The casino added a sports room with large screens and continues to grow its events.

Along concerts and powwows, events hosted at Sky Dancer are the Turtle Mountain Two-Spirit Pride Show, June 17; PBR (professional bull riders), June 23; and Sky Dancer Stampede, July 7-9. The nine-day Turtle Mountain Days begins July 8.

Sky Dancer General Manager Randy Brunelle said the casino also hosts dart and pool tournaments and is adding a cornhole tournament this year.

Peace Garden

Funds from the North Dakota Outdoor Heritage Fund, the Otto Bremer Foundation, Bush Foundation and Northwest Area Foundation, along with support from the North Dakota Game & Fish, Parks and Recreation and the North Dakota Heritage Center have aided some of the tribal projects. Still, much of the project funding has come from the tribe itself.

The tribe also has invested in the Peace Garden, committing $100,000 over 10 years to fund a section of a cultural, educational and wildlife-themed playground that opened last year and continues to expand.

Tim Chapman, executive director at the Peace Garden, sees additional opportunities for education and school field trips once construction finishes on a new conservatory, which will house the large cacti collection from a Minot donor. A grand opening will be Dec. 9.

Regional tourism efforts received a boost in May when the Peace Garden hosted the Turtle Mountain Tourism Summit, Chapman said. Travel Manitoba and North Dakota Tourism sent representatives who explained what their agencies can do, especially for rural areas, he said.

"They had some examples of some programs on both sides of the border that have received some state and provincial support that are really taking off. The numbers really show that sort of cross-promotional cooperation goes a long way," Chapman said. "There's a lot rural communities can do to support each other when it comes to tourism."

Growing tourism

More funding will be needed, however, Streich said. She sees the need to better promote existing events and attractions, such as the Scenic Byway, the pioneer-themed Hawk Museum near Wolford, Ryan Keplin Summer Fest in Rolette and the "Stonehenge" timepiece of the prairie near Bottineau called Mystical Horizons.

The tourism association also is prioritizing recruitment of bus tours to bring national and international tourists.

"We can work with the Canadian government, the tribal government and our United States government in this area to promote a bus trip that would be packed full of adventure and history. But it takes time, and it takes money, and it takes attracting a bus company," Streich said.

When those bus tours come, the region needs to be ready, she added.

With knowledgeable tour guides and local businesses prepared and eager to direct curious tourists, she said, the Turtle Mountains can become the place to visit in North Dakota.

For information about things to see and do in the Turtle Mountains, visit:

– Sky Dancer Casino & Resort at skydancercasino.com

– Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa at tmchippewa.com

– North Dakota Native Tourism Alliance at ndnta.com

– International Peace Garden at peacegarden.com

– Bottineau-Lake Metigoshe at bottineau.com

– Bottineau County Fair at bottineaucountyfair.com

– Ryan Keplin Summer Fest at ryankeplin.com

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