Connecting Montana's Indian Country

  Lailani Upham is an Amskapi Pikuni (Blackfeet) tribal member and descendant of the A’aninin, Nakoda, and Dakota nations. She is the Project Manager for MITA’s Montana Indigenous Tourism Trail Project, leading statewide efforts to strengthen Indigenous-led tourism and cultural stewardship. An adventurer, filmmaker, photographer, freelance journalist, and educator, Lailani founded Iron Shield Creative, a media and consulting platform that elevates Indigenous stories and offers cultural workshop hikes rooted in place-based understanding.

 Luella Brien (Apsáalooke), MITTP project coordinator, is the descendant of powerful healers, educators, leaders and most importantly storytellers. Storytelling and Apsáalooke history are the foundation of our tourism industry. Crow Country is the only place in the world to learn about the Apsáalooke people. Luella believes that keeping the door open to guests will be the only way to bring understanding between cultures.