Guests of Honor

ARIZONA NATIVE EXPERIENCE IMMERSES GUESTS IN INDIGENOUS CULINARY ARTS AND NATIVE ARTS SHOWCASE
 
The Arizona American Indian Tourism Association (AAITA) is set to deliver a unique and authentic Arizona Experience that is sure to delight your senses. Native Arizona will take center stage at this cocktail setting event where traditional and contemporary Native Arts will be showcased, and live performances will be shared, a silent auction and Native Chefs will delight with curated tasting stations, demonstrations, and interactive conversations.
 
Our Guests of Honor are Veronica & Denise Homer from the Miss Indian Arizona Association, in recognition for their auspicious and important work for the Association. Their legacy work in tribal communities throughout Arizona and Indian Country is multi-generational and has created experiences for young Indigenous women of Arizona that continue to nurture and create positive social, educational, political and economic impacts in Indian Country, their respective communities and the public at large.
Veronica Homer was the inaugural Miss Indian Arizona in 1961 and went on to be the first woman elected to serve as the president of the National Congress of American Indians. Denise Homer has been supportive and affiliated since the founding of the association and for the past 20 years has dedicated her public life and work as the Executive Director of the Association, ensuring its continuance, viability and legacy for future indigenous women and Arizona tribal communities. AAITA is honored to celebrate and recognize these two extraordinary women at the Arizona Native Edible Experience 2022.
  
The event is being held from 6-9 pm at Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, 3830 N. Marshall Way, Scottsdale, Arizona 85251 on Saturday, February 5, 2021. Included in the evening, guests will be able to experience the museum’s offerings, including the exciting exhibition “Light and Legacy: The Art and Techniques of Edward S. Curtis, which honors Native Americans through the lens of early 20th century photographer Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952). Unparalleled in scope, the exhibition features over 900 artworks and objects that celebrate the life and works of photographer, ethnographer, and adventurer Edward Curtis. Spanning three decades, Edward Curtis traveled the land west of the Mississippi from Arizona to the High Arctic, visiting over 80 Indigenous Peoples and creating thousands of images, audio recordings, and the earliest motion pictures of Native Americans, all while making tremendous contributions to the art and science of photography. Curtis’s 20 volume publication, The North American Indian, remains unmatched in American ethnographic annals for its scope, depth, empathy, and artistry. Light and Legacy: The Art and Techniques of Edward S. Curtis opened on October 19, 2021 and will remain on view through April 30, 2023.
 
  
Arizona Native Experience
Saturday February 5, 2022, 6-9pm
 
Indulge in the uniquely Arizona Native Experience. Enjoy the offerings and company of indigenous chefs as you taste and savor our desert infused cocktails in an event rich in elements of traditional and contemporary Native performances. Admission is $25.00 pp and includes food tastings, and no host bars. Foodies, culture enthusiasts, and Arizona lover will not want to miss this chance to explore the tastes, sights and sounds of Native Arizona. Tickets can be purchased at  www.arizonanativeexperience2022.com . This event is part of the Arizona Indian Festival running February 5-6, 2022, in Oldtown Scottsdale. More info on the Arizona Indian Festival can be found at www.arizonaindiantourism.org .


 The Arizona Native Edible Experience is made possible with generous sponsorship from The Arizona Office of Tourism, Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, and the City of Scottsdale.

 
About the Arizona American Indian Tourism Association:
The Arizona American Indian Tourism Association (AAITA) is a statewide, nonprofit 501(c) 3 membership organization, established in 1994. Overseen by a nine-member board, AAITA involves American Indian businesses and professionals as organization members, who voluntarily work together to increase tourism and tourism awareness on Arizona Indian reservations/communities. AAITA targets the 22 Native American tribes in Arizona. AAITA also facilitates and hosts conferences for Native Americans, speakers on tourism issues, and assists Native American people in effective networking.

media contact:
Jeffrey Lazos Ferns
602-299-9576
​[email protected]