Indigenous tourism guide highlights tribal nations along Route 66

A new travel guide by the American Indigenous Tourism Association aims to highlight Indigenous nations along Route 66 as the highway approaches its 100th anniversary in 2026, according to reporting by ICT. The guide, American Indians and Route 66, was developed in partnership with the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership and focuses on the route’s connections to ancestral Indigenous trade routes across the homelands of more than 25 tribal nations.

More than half of the 2,448-mile route passes through Indian Country, Sherry Rupert, chief executive officer of the American Indigenous Tourism Association, told ICT. The guide includes information on tribal nations, cultural sites and visitor etiquette, and was produced in consultation with tribes. It also features digital tools, including an interactive map and trip-planning resources to help travelers identify Indigenous-owned businesses and cultural experiences along the route, according to ICT.