Navajo man creates mobile app to offer tourists a Native lens on historic routes [View all]

https://www.kunm.org/local-news/2026-07-02/navajo-man-mobile-app-tourists-native-lens-historic-routes-tribal-trailz-route-66-route66

Navajo man creates mobile app to offer tourists a Native lens on historic routes

KUNM | By Jeanette DeDios
Published July 2, 2026 at 1:41 PM MDT

A new mobile app called “Tribal Trailz” created by a Navajo man is offering travelers in both New Mexico and Arizona an opportunity to learn about historic roadways, including Route 66, and gain insight on Native American cultures. Whether you’re driving from Gallup to Flagstaff or Flagstaff to Phoenix the app created by former educator George R. Joe, called “Tribal Trailz” serves as your audio tour guide while you’re on the road.

“Are you driving over the bridge yet? It is known as Canyon Diablo, and Two Guns is right on the rim of Canyon Diablo. Many years ago, Route 66 entrepreneurs once had a roadside gas station, trading post, even a tiny zoo, where lions and bobcats were behind chicken wire” said audio from Tribal Trailz.

Joe said the app includes information about Navajo and Acoma territories because a lot of tourists on the road are very uninformed about Native Americans.

“The education world hasn't done a good job of letting Americans know about tribal people, so they have these crazy ideas and misconceptions about us,” said Joe. “So, I thought, ‘Here's my chance to try to correct some of that information about housing, about how we live, about how we make money, things we do.’”

… more … New Mexico & Arizona … gps activated … android and iOS … free …