The Travel Guide to Tribes Along the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail identifies places along the Anza Trail where travelers are welcomed and can explore the history, heritage, and cultures of the tribes in Arizona and California. The guide is the result of a historic partnership, three years in the making, between the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) and the National Park Service Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail Program.
The members of the Anza expedition represented families of Indigenous, African, and European heritage. They migrated, seeking opportunities in Arizona and California, bringing their language, customs, and traditions. The sometimes violent introduction of these new cultures and practices significantly impacted the indigenous peoples along the Trail.
This 88-page guide includes traditional Indigenous place names along the Trail, reminding visitors that these lands are Indigenous homelands and have been so since time immemorial. The guide also includes three 11-inch-by-17-inch fold-out maps with Indigenous place names along the trail. The maps show three regions: Arizona, Southern California, and the northern part of the trail up to the Bay Area.
Extensive outreach was conducted to produce this guide. The AIANTA outreach team connected with tribal leadership to find the appropriate contacts, made personal connections, and built relationships. The team also conducted site visits to photograph attractions and video tribal elders, historians, and artists to accompany the guide. The team also reached out to local, state, and federal recreational attractions near tribal lands along the trail and listed them with the tribal attractions.
The guide includes 10 federally recognized tribes in Arizona, 60 federally recognized tribes, and 23 unrecognized tribes in California.
As the team traveled the route, they asked the tribes what they wanted to say to travelers and the public. What they heard over and over was to let them know, “We are still here.” This guide is a testament to the resilience and strength of the Native Peoples of California and Arizona. Despite the violence, displacement, and being ignored, they are still here and welcome visitors to their lands to share their food, art, and culture.
The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail connects Native history, art, culture, and outdoor recreation along a 1,200-mile corridor from Nogales, Arizona, to the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit tribal museums where you can learn about the history, struggles, and continued existence of the tribes.
- Him Dak Eco-Museum at the Ak-Chin Community
- The San Carlos Apache Cultural Museum
- The Yoemem Tekia Cultural Center and Museum at the Pascua Yaqui Tribe
- Nohwike’ Bágowa, the White Mountain Apache Cultural Center and Museum
- The Huhugam Ki Museum at the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
- Cocopah Museum and Cultural Center
- Colorado River Indian Tribes Museum
- Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center
- Sycuan Cultural Center and Museum
- Barona Cultural Center & Museum
- Kumeyaay-Ipai Interpretive Center
- Agua Caliente Cultural Museum
- The Cabazon Band of Mission Indians Cultural Museum
Enjoy the culinary delights of restaurants serving Native foods at Wahpepah’s Kitchen and the Ohlone Café or locally grown products like famous date shakes from Hadley’s Fruit Orchards owned by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.
Take a walking tour on the Salt River Art Trail in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Purchase art from Native artists at the San Xavier Plaza on the Tohono O’odham Reservation. View awe-inspiring life-size sculptures like the Pascua Yaqui Deer Dancer, the basket dancer at the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians, the sculpture gallery at the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians casino resort, or spectacular murals like the Story of Toypurina in Los Angeles.
Enjoy recreation along the trail: hunt or fish on the San Carlos Reservation. Go horseback riding at Fort McDowell Adventures or the Koli Equestrian Center at the Gila River Indian Community. Ski in the winter or bike in the summer at the White Mountain Apache’s Sunrise Park Resort. Hike and camp at the Los Coyotes Campground. Tour the Indian and Tahquitz Canyons at the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Go tubing along the San Luis Rey River or bike the trails at the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians Indian Adventure Park.
The official book launch for the printed copy of the Anza Travel Guide will be held in April. To view the guide, please visit: https://www.aianta.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Anza-Travel-Guide-1.26.25-For-web.pdf
