Indigenous nations serve as the ‘heartbeat’ of Route 66 - ICT
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New road trip guide for 2026 centennial by the American Indigenous Tourism Association

Sandra Hale Schulman
Special to ICT

Sure you can get your kicks on Route 66, but now you can discover the Indigenous roots of the “Mother Road” that runs from Chicago to Santa Monica in a new guide called American Indians and Route 66.

As the United States celebrates the 100th anniversary of Route 66, the American Indigenous Tourism Association, the national organization dedicated to advancing cultural heritage tourism in Native nations and communities across the country, is steering the headlight toward the highway’s deep Indigenous origins.

Partnering with the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership, the American Indigenous Tourism Association wants the cross-country strip recognized as a 20th-century icon that is actually a corridor built upon ancient Indigenous trade routes that traverse the ancestral homelands of more than 25 tribal nations.

For many decades, the Route 66 story has been dominated by roadside attractions and kitschy neon diners. More than just the Cadillac Ranch in Texas, Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park, the Wigwam Motel in Arizona and California, and the seaside end of the Santa Monica Pier in the Golden State, the road has misrepresented Indigenous cultures. When U.S. Route 40 was built in the 1950s (roughly along the same path), many places along Route 66, which went right through cities, were abandoned.

More than half of the 2,448 miles of the route passes through Indian Country, said Sherry Rupert, chief executive officer of the American Indigenous Tourism Association. Rupert is Paiute and Washoe.

“For too long, the Indigenous presence along this corridor was either treated as a footnote or, worse, mythologized through roadside stereotypes,” Rupert told ICT. “As we approach the Route 66 Centennial in 2026, we felt it was vital to provide a resource that reclaims this narrative. The guide serves as a bridge, moving past the faded ‘Wigwam’ Motels of the past to showcase the living, breathing cultures and sovereign nations that remain the heartbeat of the route today.”

Those hot spots of “roadside stereotypes” are slowly fading away and being replaced with authenticity of Indigenous-led tourism.

“We are absolutely seeing a wonderful surge in Indigenous-led tourism that allows for authentic, respectful engagement,” she says. “For example, in New Mexico, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center serves as a gateway to the 19 Pueblos, many of which offer their own specific community tours and seasonal dances.”

Other tribal nations that the route passes through include the pueblos of New Mexico to the Hualapai Nation in Arizona and the 39 distinct tribal nations in Oklahoma.

This comprehensive travel guide highlights the tribal nations, reservations and cultural attractions along this historic highway.

The guide, produced in consultation with the tribes, provides historical context on the road’s impact that created both economic opportunities and the challenges of land displacement while also giving travelers important etiquette when visiting tribal lands.

There are digital tools for explorers to help plan their Indigenous-focused road trip:

  • Dedicated Route 66 Portal: A wealth of historical materials, trip-planning guides, and educational resources.
  • Native American Travel App: Route 66 Map Initiative Designated Official Route 66 Centennial Project
  • Destination Native America and Route 66 Interactive Map: Through the website, travelers use an interactive map to discover Indigenous-owned businesses, cultural centers, and authentic experiences along the Route 66 corridor.
  • Route 66 Events: Discover ways to celebrate this road-tripping milestone with Only in Your State, the official publishing partner of the Route 66 Centennial.

The guide is one more product from the tourism organization.

What does AIT hope readers and tourists take away from the Route 66 guide?

“Our primary hope is that travelers walk away with a sense of connection rather than just consumption,” Rupert says. “We want them to see Route 66 not just as a strip of asphalt connecting Chicago to L.A., but as a cultural pathway through a diverse landscape of sovereign nations.”

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