Beyond tourism and taxes: the ecomuseum and social development in the Ak-Chin tribal community

ABSTRACT

Ecomuseums, which reflect the heritage of places, can be an important model for advancing the relationship between tourism, heritage, and local development. This paper examines the relationship between an ecomuseum and development in the context of the Ak-Chin Him-Dak Ecomuseum in Arizona, the only officially designated ecomuseum in the United States. Based on a case study approach, the study indicates that the Ak-Chin Him-Dak Ecomuseum has several features that differentiate it from many other ecomuseums around the world. Unlike some other examples, the Ak-Chin Him-Dak Ecomuseum’s primary aim is to ensure cultural revitalization and social development based on the native tribe’s unique needs. The relationship with tourism is limited, and utilizing the ecomuseum as an economic driver was not a consideration. In this case, the ecomuseum was conceived as an educational tool to aid residents in rediscovering their unique heritage, preserving elements of the past that are on the verge of disappearing, and advancing the social wellbeing of the community.

KEYWORDS:

• Ecomuseum
• tourism
• social development
• Arizona
• USA
• Native Americans
• indigenous heritage

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the cooperation of the managers and workers at the Ak-Chin Him-Dak Ecomuseum and for the participation of tribal members in the Ak-Chin Tribal Community.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Dr. Mustafa Doğan is currently Associate Professor in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Batman University, Batman, Turkey. His primary research areas include sustainable tourism, ecomuseums, eco-villages and cultural tourism. He has ongoing projects in various parts of Europe, including Turkey.

Dr. Dallen J. Timothy is Professor of Community Resources and Development at Arizona State University (ASU), and Senior Sustainability Scientist at ASU. He holds Visiting Professorships at Beijing Union University (China), University of Girona (Spain) and Luoyang Normal University (China), and he is a Senior Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. He is the editor of the Journal of Heritage Tourism and serves on the editorial boards of 26 scientific research journals. He has ongoing research in Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East on many topics related to tourism.