In an effort to further recognize the connections of tribal members with the land and to provide information on current projects, Grand Canyon National Park announced a new website to continue honoring and elevating native perspectives.
The website is accessible through the National Parks Service site, and will keep readers up to date on projects involving indigenous tribes from the Grand Canyon National Park area "such as the Desert View Inter-tribal Cultural Heritage Site and the annual cultural demonstrator's series at the park," reported the Navajo-Hopi Observer Feb. 15.
"Tribes have lots of specialized knowledge about this place and these resources, and if we incorporate that knowledge and consider that in our decision-making, we’re better land managers," Mike Lyndon, tribal program manager, said in the Navajo-Hopi Observer article.
There are 11 tribes traditionally associated with the Grand Canyon National Park area. These include Havasupai Tribe, Hopi Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, Navajo Nation, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe and Yavapai-Apache Nation in Arizona; Las Vagas Band of Paiute Indians and Moapa Band of Paiute Indians of Nevada; the Pueblo of Zuni of New Mexico; and the Paiute Tribe of Utah.
“As part of the park’s continuing effort to recognize tribal members’ deep cultural and spiritual ties to the landscape, the site features efforts on how the park is working with Indigenous communities, links to the 11 traditionally associated tribes’ respective websites and further resources on tribal engagement and programming,” said Brian Drapeaux, Grand Canyon National Park deputy superintendent, according to the Navajo-Hopi Observer.
This project has reportedly been in the works since October 2021.
