On February 26, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson signed an act establishing Grand Canyon National Park. With the stroke of a pen, U.S. citizens — and the world — gained an incredible natural treasure that would be permanently protected and preserved for future generations. Today, millions of people peer over the edge of the Grand Canyon each year, making it the second most visited national park in the country.
The Grand Canyon Trust has been devoted to protecting the Grand Canyon and surrounding landscapes for over 30 years. We still have a lot to do. Join us as we look forward to the next century of conservation on park lands and beyond.
Long before the Grand Canyon joined ranks as a national park, it was home to indigenous people. At least 11 tribes trace their ancestors, culture, and places of origin to the Grand Canyon. But native people — the canyon’s original caretakers — have been pushed off their traditional homelands and excluded from park management throughout the past hundred years.
The Trust is facilitating meetings with cultural leaders from Grand Canyon-affiliated tribes across the Colorado Plateau. Dozens of individuals from Hualapai, Havasupai, Zuni, Hopi, Southern San Juan Paiute, and Navajo communities have come together to identify priorities and goals, placing tribes at the forefront of education, interpretation, and stewardship of the Grand Canyon.
I want people to know that the cultural history of the Grand Canyon is not the history you read in colonial books. I want them to honor and respect our oral history and to understand that the history of the Grand Canyon doesn’t start with Mary Colter...more ›
Since the creation of the national park at Grand Canyon, their whole approach was not very accommodating to the tribes. Theodore Roosevelt went there, designated it, and had all the tribes moved out of that area, claiming it a natural treasure for the American people. We are the American people too, and that’s our homeland...more ›
I’d like to see my progeny — all my great-grandchildren, and their grandchildren — be able to go to the canyon and realize and know that those places are protected and preserved for them. I don’t want them to come to face what we had to. The humiliation, the attempts to make us so ashamed of where we come from...more ›
The intertribal centennial group seeks to develop respectful relationships between federal land mangement agencies and tribal communities and promote greater involvement of Grand Canyon's first stewards in managing the park and public and tribal lands. Here's a glimpse of the group's recommendations:
We’re hitting the road, bringing stories of the Grand Canyon to audiences across the country. Join us to hear National Geographic photographer Pete McBride and author Kevin Fedarko speak about their 800-mile hike through the Grand Canyon and the threats to the canyon they discovered along the way.
Was it love at first sight, or did sore knees make you vow never to hike in the canyon again? We’re collecting stories about first impressions of the Grand Canyon. Tell us why you love the place ›
The Grand Canyon Trust was born out of our love for the Grand Canyon. Help us continue safeguarding the canyon's air, waters, views, and communities into the next century. Make a gift ›
From trail descriptions and maps to permit information and directions, we've got you covered. Plan your next Grand Canyon adventure, and check out our favorite routes ›
A case challenging a uranium mine near Grand Canyon National Park gets another day in court.
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A small tribe with a big voice, the Havasupai also have a big area to protect: the Grand Canyon.
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