American Indians & Route 66 AMERICAN INDIANS & ROUTE 66 | 01 ON OUR COVER: ‘SEEING THROUGH THE PATTERNS’ Geraldine Lozano is a conceptual artist based out of Brooklyn, New York. She works using photo, video performance, artist books, and public art in her practice. Her video installation work has been funded by the Creative Work Fund and the Zellerbach Foundation of San Francisco, California. Lozano’s public art can be seen in the architecturally integrated art of eco-resin screens set into the bus shelters of BRIO, Sun Metro’s new rapid transit system. Gera, as she as also known in the street art world, creates femenine artwork that is conscious and provocative. Her studio work and public art work reflect the spirit of culture and dreams. – www.geralozano.com American Indians & Route 66 AMERICAN INDIANS & ROUTE 66 | 01 MAP KEY Route 66 American Indian Reservation Tribal Jurisdictions (Oklahoma) Trust Land ABOUT THIS MAP Route 66 cartography provided by Pueblo of Sandia GIS Program, Pueblo of Sandia, Bernalillo, New Mexico Route 66 historic alignment information derived from National Park Service data and Rick Martin’s online resource, http://route66map. publishpath.com/ Tribal land status and base mapping provided by Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Trust Services Division of Water and Power DID DIDYOU YOUKNOW? KNOW? DID YOU KNOW? INTRODUCTION AMERICAN INDIANS AND ROUTE 66 Route 66 was an officially commissioned highway from 1926 Route 66 begins in Grant Park, Chicago—or ends there— to 1985. During its lifetime, the road guided travelers through depending on which direction you’re traveling. At the intersection the lands of more than 25 tribal nations. It was a give and take of Jackson and Michigan Avenues, a sign declares the “End of relationship between the asphalt and the American Indian people— Historic Route 66.” from the physical intrusion of the road on American Indian lands to the new commerce the road introduced. American Indian But according to statistics, most people begin the journey going Indian Country 1853 stereotypes were propagated and used as a major lure for tourists west, a journey that terminates near the Santa Monica Pier at Tourism in the on this “Mother Road” of American highways and the evidence the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Ocean Avenue in Southwest In 1803, most of the land lingers. Faded billboards, rusty metal tipis and concrete ‘wigwams’ Santa Monica, California. acquired by the Louisiana beckon from the roadside, evidence not of the tribe they were As early as 1925, Arizona Purchase (except for the meant to represent, but of tourism marketing savvy. Whichever way you head, from Lake Michigan to the Pacific Highways, a state supported Ocean or the other way around, this iconic highway cuts its way Arkansas Territory and the magazine, became a driving Today, the road can help break down these stereotypes as tribes across more than 2,400 miles of the United States. More than half states of Louisiana and force in promoting tourism actively share their distinct cultures and histories. American of Route 66 lies in Indian Country—roughly 1,372 miles. The Route to the Southwest, publishing Missouri) was considered Indians and Route 66 was made possible through consultation and ventures through the country’s heartland to take a long sojourn the articles extolling the wonders Indian Country. participation of many of the tribes along the route. For additional length of Illinois, crosses Missouri and makes a brief jaunt through of the incredible landscape and and the most up-to-date information about tribes along Route 66, Kansas. Then it travels a long exotic Indigenous peoples. It wasn’t until the Indian please visit www.AmericanIndiansAndRoute66.com. stretch through a big swath of Indian Country, angling southwest across Removal Act of 1834 that an According to John M. Oklahoma, home to 39 distinct official Indian Territory was Coward, author of Indians American Indian nations, and crosses created. However, westward Illustrated: The Image of into the barren lands of the Texas expansion and gradual forced Native Americans in the PARTICIPATING TRIBES & PUEBLOS ALONG ROUTE 66 panhandle. land cessions by American Pictorial Press (June 2016), Indians whittled away at Quapaw Tribe Of Oklahoma p. 14 Motorists enter another piece of the magazine “represented Indian Territory’s borders Miami Tribe of Oklahoma p. 16 Indian Country at the New Mexico two kinds of Native Americans for the tourist trade—the until 1854, when Congress Cherokee Nation p. 18 state line and as the landscape colorful, traditional Indian passed the Kansas Nebraska Muscogee (Creek) Nation p. 20 changes, so does the culture. who lived an ‘authentic’ and Act, carving out land for the Route 66 passes through or near Euchee (Yuchi) Tribe p. 22 apparently contented life in future states of Kansas and 10 American Indian Pueblos before Sac and Fox Nation p. 23 crossing the border into Arizona and the desert, and the competent, Nebraska. Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma p. 24 the lands of the Navajo (Diné), Hopi progressive Indian, not so Wichita and Affiliated Tribes p. 26 and Hualapai. Finally, in the home exotic or bizarre as to be Many tribes that had already Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes p. 28 stretch to Santa Monica, the deserts inaccessible. This two-sided been removed once from Pueblo of Sandia p. 36 and mountains of Southern California figure was the perfect tourist homelands further east were are home to the San Manuel Band of creation—romantic and Pueblo of Isleta p. 38 forced to move again, this Mission Indians, the Fort Mojave Tribe colorful but not frightening Pueblo of Laguna p. 40 time to live within the borders and the state recognized Gabrielino or hostile, seemingly content, Pueblo of Acoma p. 42 A sign planted in 2009 marks the of the Indian Territory we Tongva Band of Mission Indians. timeless, and well off the Navajo Nation p. 45 end of Route 66 on the wooden know today—the present state deck of the Santa Monica Pier—a political agenda.” Hopi Tribe p. 48 American Indians & Route 66 seeks of Oklahoma. to introduce the tribes living along popular tourist area filled with Hualapai Tribe p. 50 – Vintage copies of Arizona the route. We seek to inform and shops and restaurants. An earlier Fort Mojave Indian Tribe p. 54 – Map courtesy to point the way to genuine cultural routing (1926-1936) ended Highways are available on Edmon Low Library San Manuel Band of Mission Indians p. 56 experiences all along Route 66—from the highway in Los Angeles’ Ebay, www.ebay.com Oklahoma State University Gabrielino-Tongva Tribe p. 58 Chicago to LA. Entertainment District. 02 | AMERICAN INDIANS & ROUTE 66 AMERICAN INDIANS & ROUTE 66 | 03 DID YOU KNOW? DID YOU KNOW? ROUTE 66 AND THE MYTH OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN entrepreneur. Originally, there were seven roadside sleepover spots, each featuring a small village of tipi structures. Three There are hundreds of American Indian tribes in the U.S. with of these survive today—two on Route 66. One is in Holbrook, distinct languages, traditions, ceremonies and regalia. Yet, Arizona and the other is in San Bernardino, California. A historic popular culture, including Route 66 marketing, has perpetuated San Bernardino property brochure offers “a complete guest room a monolithic view of the American Indian. Motorists on Route 66 in a peculiar fashion of actual wigwam units.” The problem is a in western Oklahoma pass signs for the Cherokee Trading Post traditional wigwam is not a tipi; it is a grass or birchbark covered depicting (presumably) a Cherokee. Except this “Cherokee’” wears hut also called a wickiup, used by nomadic Indians of the western The Indian Detours a Plains Indian-style war bonnet that Cherokees do not. On the and southwestern United States and by tribes from the Midwest. Route in Arizona, a “Navajo” trading post boasts the “World’s In 1926, businessman Ford Largest Teepee” (made of sheet metal). Navajos’ traditional The romance of Route 66 was created, in part, by marketing the Harvey launched an all- dwellings are hooghans, not tipis. These marketing images Hollywood version of American Indians. Travelers were given the expense auto tour featuring depicting American Indian homes and clothing are likely due to how stereotypical images they were accustomed to seeing in films to inhabited Indian pueblos, Indians have been depicted in Hollywood movies. Many Western lure them into buying postcards and souvenirs, taking photos with ruins and scenic points of films and TV shows feature these kind of Plains Indian images. wooden Indians, staying the night in a “wigwam” and spending a interest. The tours whisked little extra time and money on their journey west. It is important to intrepid travelers away from There are many other examples along the Route, including a chain shed light on these stereotypes and understand that, in fact, there Hollywood has made the Santa Fe railroad depot in of Historic “Wigwam Motels”, or “Wigwam Villages,” built between are dozens of fascinating tribal cultures along Route 66 with their more than 4,000 films distinctly marked Harvey cars 1933 and 1950 on Historic Route 66 by a Kentucky-based own distinct and beautiful traditions. about Native people; and coaches, and took them more than 100 years on the journey of a lifetime. of movies inaccurately shaping and defining In an article published in the how American Indians New York Times Magazine that are seen by the world. same year, Francis McMullen wrote, “Tourists have invaded the Indian country of the Southwest. Over roads once ridden by the conquistadors, the sightseeing busses now Everybody knows about honk their way; and into even “Indians. They think about the remote fastnesses of ‘Dances with Wolves’ or the Pueblos penetrate these ‘A Man Called Horse’ or curious city folk.