About Navajo Guide
About Navajo Guide
By a Navajo, for the Navajo.
NavajoGuide.com was formerly TravelNavajoOnline.com, a Navajo tourism destination site. The site is the creation of a life time resident and tribal member of the Navajo Nation from north of Winslow, Ariz.
The reason he founded this site was to provide independent, reliable information about destinations, cultural interests, and events about Navajo.
NavajoGuide.com is 100% Navajo-owned. It is an information website that provides inside information about destinations, things to do, cultural events, arts, food, people and the culture of the Navajo people. As a non-government owned publication, we can write independently and allow users to comment on their visit. The articles are written by contributing writers and photographers who have extensive news writing experience among the Navajo people.
The site has a history. In December 2019, the original site was completed and then launched in early February 2020. The site had some technical challenges (download was slow), and then came along the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic put a halt to the entire website, as the Navajo Nation was shut down to outside visitors for nearly two years.
In spring of 2022, the Navajo Nation re-opened the borders to outside visitors, but masks were still required. The mask mandate was recently lifted in January 2023 by newly-elected tribal leader Buu Nygren.
The original site was built based on studies conducted over a 20 year period by the Navajo Nation Tourism Office, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University. Later, other studies developed for nearby destinations like Grand Canyon, Page and Flagstaff, Arizona were also reviewed.
After the pandemic, a new site was designed which was based on more research and numerous one-on-one surveys in which the survey questions were reframed. At almost every opportunity, anyone who looked like a traveler was asked questions. The results, with the new format, and more to come are before you.
So, before you plan a visit to or near the Navajo Reservation, we urge you to save a lot of time and subscribe and then plan out your trip. Look at our itineraries. The site is still evolving and more digital tour options will be added.
One last item. I urge you to support local Navajo-owned businesses by buying directly from Navajos as you travel across our land. Read our stories about how you can buy authentic crafts directly. You are also welcome to donate at any time. And also, please give us feedback and share the site with your friends.
Enjoy the site and Ahéhee’ (Navajo: Thank you).
ABOUT THE WRITERS
Bill Donovan
NOTE: Long-time Navajo area journalist Bill Donovan passed on June 30, 2022. Bill Donovan, originally from Kentucky, has covered the Navajo reservation for nearly 50 years. He started out as a reporter in 1970 for the Farmington Daily Times, and then the Gallup Independent, and finally with the Navajo Times, an independent tribal news publication. Bill was also a freelance reporter for the Arizona Republic, the state’s largest circulating newspaper from 1974 to 2002. He has also served as editor of the Indian Trader newspaper, a monthly arts and crafts news publication for at least 40 years. He has covered 12 Navajo tribal elections during his nearly 50-year reporting career.
George R Joe
George R Joe (Navajo) has been a freelance journalist, editor, founding editor of Red Ink Magazine at the University of Arizona, and founding publisher of Rez Biz Magazine (2005-2008). George has both a BA/MA in English and also a master’s degree in educational leadership – all from Northern Arizona University. He has also been a college English instructor, public relations officer and media consultant. He formerly worked as a marketing and communications director for a tribal college on the Navajo reservation.
Valarie Tom
Valarie Tom (White Mountain Apache) has been a TV news reporter for KOB-TV (NBC station) in Farmington, NM. She has a degree in English Communications from Fort Lewis College. She has also been a news reporter for the Farmington Daily Times and the Navajo Times. Currently she is a teacher for a public school district on the Navajo reservation.
Ron Goulet
Ron Goulet is originally from Ohio and moved out to Flagstaff, Arizona in 1991. For the past 30 years, Ron has been a professional photographer, graphic designer, and an editor for Rez Biz Magazine. He was the principal owner of Peak Publishing from Flagstaff, Arizona. Ron has a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism/photo journalism from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.
CORPORATE LEGAL COUNSEL
Patterson Joe
Patterson Joe (Navajo) started his own law practice in January 1995 with offices in Flagstaff, Arizona and Dilkon, Arizona (Navajo reservation). Prior to starting out in private practice in 1995, Patterson V. Joe worked for the Navajo Nation Department of Justice for about 10 years. During that time, Patterson worked his way up to the position of Deputy Attorney General. He received his law degree from Arizona State University. Mr. Joe is admitted to practice law in Arizona and the Navajo tribal courts.