America’s national parks and other scenic landscapes are often celebrated for their beauty and grandeur, but they have a deeper significance as the ancestral homelands of indigenous peoples. Through guided experiences and cultural stories, Indigenous voices share their rich history and connection to these lands, and provide a variety of services. It’s a chance for travelers to see beyond the scenery. Travelers interested in learning more through Native-led travel can find opportunities across the country through NativeAmerica.travel, the American Indian and Alaska Native Tourism Association’s consumer website.
Stunning. Large scale. wild. Of all the words associated with America’s national parks and beautiful landscapes, there’s one that some travelers forget. It is “hometown”.
Albert Brent Chase, a Navajo (Diné) cultural educator and language teacher, told USA TODAY during an Adventures by Disney trip that “visitors from far away are encouraged to explore the land that once existed and the footprints of their ancestors.” I’m walking,” he said. Arizona and Utah.
Disney’s Guided Group Travel division specializes in connecting travelers with places through people and stories. On this particular trip, many of the storytellers were Navajo and Hopi. Their tribe has deep ties to the locations along the Colorado Plateau that the tour group visited.
You’ll never see America the same way: Experience a Native-led journey
“We want people visiting the Southwest to know that this is who we are. These are the people you’re visiting. And the Navajo Nation is just one of them.” said Chase. “There are different tribes with their own stories, their own new cultural identities.”
America’s national parks and other picturesque landscapes are often celebrated for their beauty and grandeur, but they have a deeper meaning as the ancestral homelands of indigenous peoples. Indigenous Voices shares their rich history and connection to these lands through guided experiences and cultural stories, giving travelers the opportunity to see beyond the landscape.
first people
There are 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States and many more that are not federally recognized.
“The stories and legacies of the first peoples who first inhabited this land are long and deep,” the National Park Service says in a section of its website dedicated to American Indian heritage. “The National Park Service is committed to working with American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians to preserve Native cultural heritage and celebrate tribal cultures.”
However, that wasn’t always obvious. Chuck Sams, who took over as director of the National Park Service in 2022, told USA TODAY that when he visited the park about 30 years ago, “there wasn’t a lot of recognition about the people who had been there for thousands of years.” he said.
Sams, a Cayuse and Walla Walla resident and registered member of the Confederated Tribes of Oregon’s Umatilla Indian Reservation, advocates for greater co-management of parks with Native American tribes.
“Many parks focus on providing a platform for Native Americans to share their stories and full histories with park visitors,” said Dorothy Firecloud, NPS Native American Liaison. said in a statement: “Parks across the country are working with tribal and indigenous communities to create collaborative partnerships centered around interpretation.”
Parks like Glacier, Glacier Bay, and Yellowstone offer locations and programs where visitors can meet and learn from tribal members. Park-specific details can be found on the National Park Service website and app.
connect with others
As fellow Native storyteller Derrick Swaima Davis has personally experienced, face-to-face time is critical to building connections with both people and places.
“What really helps me is traveling and visiting with other people, learning about their culture from them, sharing it in unique ways, and finding common ground between cultures to maintain balance and seek safety. It can be done,” he said. After a night of reading in Sedona, Arizona, I rattled off.
Davis is a Hopi and Choctaw Indian from Oraibi, one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities on the continent. It is located on the Hopi Reservation, which borders the Navajo Nation on all sides in Arizona.
“The boundaries of our cultural lands extend beyond the boundaries of reservations,” he explained. Current borders do not reflect the historic homelands of indigenous peoples. “We are still working with other tribes, states, private lands, and government lands to make sure we have access to many of our sacred sites.”
In the evening, between traditional flute and drum performances, he told the story of the Hopi people who emerged from the earth to care for it as stewards.
“For us, it’s about really understanding that we don’t even own our own physical bodies. In time, things will go back to normal,” he explained. “I want to encourage everyone to think about who they are and why they are here, to have this experience as a human being and make the most of it.”
remember your roots
One of the things Chase asked his tour group was where they were from, and that didn’t just mean America.
“Where did your ancestors come from?” he chimed in, speaking to USA TODAY just yards from the Grand Canyon’s South Rim after the presentation. “They can’t forget their roots.”
He has dedicated his life to preserving and sharing Navajo history and heritage and has worked to develop curriculum for Navajo schools.
“We feel blessed to be able to teach what we can and to move forward for generations while leaving our mark on this earth.We also feel blessed to be able to teach what we can and leave our mark on this earth, moving forward for generations to come. I know I’ve done everything I can to educate people. They’re going to connect.”
During his presentation, he pieced together stories on a variety of topics, from basket weaving to Native American boarding schools to Navajo code talkers, between dances by an accompanying troupe.
“We don’t call ourselves entertainers,” he said. “We call ourselves cultural teachers and cultural educators through music, dance and storytelling.”
He hopes people will want to learn more on their own.
“Maybe you can pick up some things that make you feel good and use them in your personal life,” he said. “It might add something to your spiritual journey that you can continue to walk with and share with someone else.”
still here
One thing Don Mose III, a fellow Navajo, wants travelers to know: “We’re still here.”
“Our brothers and sisters across the country don’t realize we’re still here and alive,” he said in Monument Valley on the last night of his trip.
Many people have seen the breathtaking hills of Monument Valley in movies like “Stagecoach” and “Forest Gump,” and even in the Disney attraction “Soarin’ Around the World.” But you may not realize that this is part of the Navajo Nation or that it has its own region that corresponds to the Navajo Nation. National Park, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.
“But it’s not just beautiful scenery. It has a soul, it’s alive, and if you really reach within yourself, you can feel it,” Moses said.
He said the entire region is sacred and that Moes and his band, Dark Sky, sharing music and stories by the fire under the stars gave him a sense of how special it is. He said he was able to do it. Like Davis and Chase, they invited visitors to join them and even danced around the fire on several occasions.
“I’m so glad those little kids came and were a part of this. You know, it’s something they’ll never forget,” he said with a big smile. “If we all just learned a little bit about each other’s cultures, we’d be better.”
Beyond Disney trips and national park adventures, travelers looking to learn more through Native-led travel can find opportunities across the country through NativeAmerica.travel, the American Indian and Alaska Native Tourism Association’s consumer website. can.
The reporter for this article received access to this experience from Adventures by Disney. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.
