29/04/2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 29, 2025
Nez Perce Tourism Welcomes American Jazz to the Port of Lewiston, Honoring Centuries of Nimiipuu Hospitality
LEWISTON, IDAHO — Nez Perce Tourism welcomed the American Jazz, an American Cruise Lines vessel, on its first arrival to the region of the 2025 season. This visit reflects relationship between Nez Perce Tourism and American Cruise Lines, a partnership that has continued to grow across successive seasons through a shared commitment to honoring the lands, waters, and living stories of the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) people. As the original and ongoing inhabitants of these ancestral homelands, the Nimiipuu are honored to share the beauty, history, and connection of their rivers and valleys with visitors from around the world.
The Nez Perce have long been recognized for their hospitality and generosity. On May 10, 1806, Captain Meriwether Lewis recorded in his expedition journal:
"Those people have [shown] much greater acts of hospitality than we have witnessed from any nation or tribe since we have passed the Rocky Mountains. In short, be it spoken to their immortal honor, it is the only act which deserves the appellation of hospitality which we have witnessed in this quarter."
Honoring this living tradition, guests aboard American Jazz experienced a one-hour "Visit Nimiipuu" cultural presentation. The program offered a welcome to Nimiipuu Country through traditional singing, drumming, dancing, and flute playing, while also sharing cultural values and teachings connected to the Columbia River, Snake River, and Hells Canyon.
The presentation was led by Nez Perce Tourism team members:
Amaris Mitchell
Nakia Cloud
Maurice Wilson
Stacia Morfin
James Whitebull Spencer
As part of the experience, Traditions Gift Shop, led by Cultural Artist Ambassador Amaris Mitchell, was also aboard. Guests were invited to support Native artists through the purchase of authentic creations. This offering created a meaningful opportunity for visitors to invest directly in the material culture of the Nimiipuu people, strengthening the connection between artist, community, and guest.
Following the protocols of the Nimiipuu to honor those who defend and protect, veteran guests were acknowledged during the gathering and given handmade items as an offering of respect.
The American Jazz, the newest vessel to join the American Cruise Lines fleet in the region, was christened by Nez Perce Tourism owner and CEO Stacia Morfin during a May 3, 2023, ceremony, underscoring the valued relationship between Nez Perce Tourism and American Cruise Lines. Since its founding in 2018, Nez Perce Tourism has stood at the forefront of sharing Nimiipuu voices and traditions with the world, advancing recognition of the deep cultural ties woven into every journey through Nimiipuu Country. Today, Nez Perce Tourism continues to create meaningful opportunities for visitors to experience the living heartbeat of the Nimiipuu, ensuring the stories, values, and enduring of the Nation remain vibrant for generations to come.
For more information, visit www.nezpercetourism.com.
Media Contact:
Nez Perce Tourism
[email protected]
(208) 790-8873
#1 Cultural Excursion Hells Canyon Jet Boat Experience
