Scrubbed Billings tourism campaign illustrates larger problem of not including Native voices

A Billings ad campaign that was scrubbed a day after a blogger called it racist illustrates a larger systemic issue of excluding Native voices in marketing campaigns for tribal nations, several spokespeople and tribal members around the state said.

Having too few diverse perspectives or first-voice perspectives on tourism and marketing campaigns can damage communities and perpetuate negative stereotypes, said Heather Sobrepena, program manager for the Office of Indian Country Economic Development. Tribal tourism is a wing under that the office.