A new travel guide highlighting Indigenous experiences along the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail has been released through a collaborative effort five years in the making. The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) and the National Park Service Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail Program, with support from the Arizona Office of Tourism and Visit California, published the 88-page guide, featuring tribal history, heritage and culture across Arizona and California.
The comprehensive guide features traditional Indigenous place names along the 1,200-mile trail, which stretches from Nogales, Arizona, to the San Francisco Bay Area. The guide covers 11 federally recognized tribes in Arizona along with 49 federally recognized tribes and 23 unrecognized tribes in California. It documents numerous tribal museums and cultural centers that travelers can visit along the route.
"As AIANTA traveled the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, we asked tribes what they wanted travelers to know and they said, 'We are still here,'" said Sherry L. Rupert (Paiute/Washoe), CEO of AIANTA. "This historic guide is a testament to the resilience and strength of the Indigenous peoples of California and Arizona who, despite violence, displacement and being ignored, are still here and welcome visitors to their lands to share their food, art and culture. It's an honor to have collaborated with the National Park Service Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail Program, the Arizona Office of Tourism and Visit California on this monumental project that will be enjoyed for generations to come."
The guide addresses the complex history of the Anza expedition, which included families of Indigenous, African and European heritage who migrated through these regions, and acknowledges the significant impact this movement had on the Indigenous peoples along the trail.
Editor’s Note: This article was generated by AI, based on a press release distributed by the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association. It has been fact-checked and reviewed by a TravelAge West editor.