IN ECONOMIC OUTPUT OVER THE NEXT DECADE. WELL, THE HISTORY OF ROUTE 66 HAS SPREAD FAR AND WIDE. BUT FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, THAT RELATIONSHIP TOOK TIME. ALIYAH CHAVEZ EXPLAINS HOW A NEW GUIDE IS BRIDGING THE GAP FOR MANY TO EXPERIENCE NATIVE CULTURE. MOST OF THE ROUTES THAT ARE TRAVELED ACROSS THE COUNTRY WERE FIRST TRAVELED BY NATIVE PEOPLES. THEY WERE HUNTING ROUTES. THEY WERE TRADE ROUTES. THEY WERE GATHERINGS. YOU KNOW, THESE TRAILS WOULD LATER EVOLVE INTO ROUTE 66, LEADING TRAVELERS THROUGH MORE THAN 25 TRIBAL NATIONS. THE HIGHWAY BRINGING OPPORTUNITIES TO LURE IN VISITORS. BUT IT WASN’T ALWAYS AN AUTHENTIC REPRESENTATION OF NATIVE COMMUNITIES. TEEPEES, WIGWAMS, CIGAR STORE, INDIAN. AND UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT THEY MISSED WAS THE WONDERFUL, VIBRANT CULTURES THAT DID EXIST. WHAT THEY DID WAS THEY TRANSPLANTED IMAGES FROM OTHER TRIBES TO THIS AREA, AND YOU WOULD SEE THEY WOULD ASK THE PUEBLO PEOPLE TO PUT ON HEADDRESSES FOR THE TOURISTS WHEN THEY CAME THROUGH. GAIL CHESAK IS A CITIZEN OF THE KLAMATH TRIBES IN OREGON. FOR 11 YEARS, SHE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE AMERICAN INDIGENOUS TOURISM ASSOCIATION TO HIGHLIGHT PUEBLOS AND TRIBES ALONG THE MOTHER ROAD. WE SAID, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE NEED IS A TRAVEL GUIDE. YOU KNOW, JUST A MAP OF THE ROUTE AND THE TRIBES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ROUTE. AND SO WE CAME UP WITH A PROJECT. SHE SAYS THIS GUIDE REMOVES STEREOTYPES BY CREATING AN AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE AND WELCOMING TRAVELERS INTO NATIVE COMMUNITIES ALONG ROUTE 66. WHAT’S HAPPENED SINCE 2015 TO NOW? HUNDREDS OF NEW BUSINESSES HAVE STARTED, NEW RESTAURANTS, NEW GALLERIES, NEW EVENTS, EVEN ADDING NEW ATTRACTIONS. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FOUND THAT WE ARE ADDING THIS YEAR ARE A LOT OF THE POWWOWS. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVEN’T BEEN TO A POWWOW. SOME OF THEM DON’T EVEN KNOW THAT THEY’RE WELCOME. THERE AT THE END OF THE ROUTE IS ONE OF THE LARGEST POWWOWS IN THE COUNTRY. AT THE SAN MANUEL NATION. THEIR WEBSITE AND APP IS INTERACTIVE, ALLOWING YOU TO SCHEDULE STOPS ALONG THE HISTORIC ROUTE, VISITING PLACES INCLUDING SKY CITY AND ARTWORK ON THE ZUNI PUEBLO. ALL COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE BEEN ALONG THE ROUTE FOR SO LONG. I THINK THE ROAD IS A SYMBOL OF ADVENTURE, OF EXPLORATION, OF KIND OF OPENING PEOPLE’S EYES TO THE WEST AND ENLIGHTEN THOSE WHO WISH TO LEARN THE TRUTH ABOUT NATIVE CULTURE ALONG THE MOST HISTORIC ROAD IN THE WORLD. ALIYAH CHAVE
Map highlights Indigenous communities and history along Route 66
Destination America providing an authentic cultural experience for travelers
Route 66, a historic highway that passes through more than 25 tribal nations, is being revitalized by Indigenous communities to offer travelers an authentic cultural experience. Gail Chehak, a citizen of the Klamath Tribe in Oregon, has been working with the American Indigenous Tourism Association for 11 years to highlight pueblos and tribes along the Mother Road. “We said, you know, we need a travel guide, you know, just a map of the route and the tribes associated with the route, and so we came up with the project,” she said.”Most of the routes that are traveled across the country were first traveled by native peoples,” said a source. “They were hunting routes, they were trade routes, they were gatherings, you know.”These trails eventually evolved into Route 66, which brought opportunities to attract visitors, though it wasn’t always an authentic representation of Native communities. “The tepees, wigwams, cigar store Indians, and unfortunately, what they missed was the wonderful, vibrant cultures that did exist,” Chehak said. “What they did was they transplanted images from other tribes to this area and you would see they would ask pueblo people to put on headdresses for the tourists when they came through.” Chehak explained that this guide removes stereotypes by creating an authentic experience and welcoming travelers into Native communities along Route 66. “What happened since 2015 to now is hundreds of new businesses have started, new restaurants, new galleries, new events,” she said.Even new attractions have been added. “One of the things that I added this year, I found that we’re adding this year, are a lot of the powwows. A lot of people haven’t been to a powwow, some of them don’t even know they are welcome there,” she said. “At the end of the route is one of the largest powwows in the country at the San Manuel Nation.”Their website and app are interactive, allowing travelers to schedule stops along the historic route, visiting places including Sky City, the Acoma Pueblo, and artwork on the Zuni Pueblo, all communities that have been along the route for so long.”I think the road is a symbol of adventure, of exploration, and kind of opening people’s eyes to the west,” said a source, emphasizing the road’s potential to enlighten those who wish to learn the truth about Native culture along one of the most historic roads in the world.To view the historical map, click here.
Route 66, a historic highway that passes through more than 25 tribal nations, is being revitalized by Indigenous communities to offer travelers an authentic cultural experience.
Gail Chehak, a citizen of the Klamath Tribe in Oregon, has been working with the American Indigenous Tourism Association for 11 years to highlight pueblos and tribes along the Mother Road. “We said, you know, we need a travel guide, you know, just a map of the route and the tribes associated with the route, and so we came up with the project,” she said.
“Most of the routes that are traveled across the country were first traveled by native peoples,” said a source. “They were hunting routes, they were trade routes, they were gatherings, you know.”
These trails eventually evolved into Route 66, which brought opportunities to attract visitors, though it wasn’t always an authentic representation of Native communities. “The tepees, wigwams, cigar store Indians, and unfortunately, what they missed was the wonderful, vibrant cultures that did exist,” Chehak said. “What they did was they transplanted images from other tribes to this area and you would see they would ask pueblo people to put on headdresses for the tourists when they came through.”
Chehak explained that this guide removes stereotypes by creating an authentic experience and welcoming travelers into Native communities along Route 66. “What happened since 2015 to now is hundreds of new businesses have started, new restaurants, new galleries, new events,” she said.
Even new attractions have been added. “One of the things that I added this year, I found that we’re adding this year, are a lot of the powwows. A lot of people haven’t been to a powwow, some of them don’t even know they are welcome there,” she said. “At the end of the route is one of the largest powwows in the country at the San Manuel Nation.”
Their website and app are interactive, allowing travelers to schedule stops along the historic route, visiting places including Sky City, the Acoma Pueblo, and artwork on the Zuni Pueblo, all communities that have been along the route for so long.
“I think the road is a symbol of adventure, of exploration, and kind of opening people’s eyes to the west,” said a source, emphasizing the road’s potential to enlighten those who wish to learn the truth about Native culture along one of the most historic roads in the world.
To view the historical map, click here.
