We Still Keep Watching Over This Land

Native peoples have lived in the Grand Canyon and the plateaus above it since time immemorial, and they are still here today.


Hear from Carletta Tilousi and Dianna Sue White Dove Uqualla about their Havasupai connections to the north and south rims of the Grand Canyon.

Please accept statistics, marketing cookies to watch this video.

Transcript

DIANNA SUE WHITE DOVE UQUALLA: It is so powerful for us to be here. This is where we began, the Havasupai people. This is a very sacred place. This is what we’ve always watched over, through my elders, through generations. There’s countless generations that have protected this place. From our elders, they said that, you know, when the sun comes up, when the sun touches all the land, that is your land.

CARLETTA TILOUSI: All of this North Rim and South Rim was once inhabited by ancient Havasupai people. And we would be so happy once and for all to know that our ancient trails, our ancient burial sites, and the animals have a healthy space to be at. And that’s the most important thing to me.

DIANNA SUE: Even though people don’t understand, we still keep watching over this land, ’cause that’s what we do. It’s not through legal papers, it’s through what Spirit sends to us.

Related Resources

New Bridge Strategy logo and text reading “Utah Statewide Survey Key Findings, August 2026” on a white background.
Utah voters strongly support national monuments and Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante in particular, an August 2026 poll shows.
New Bridge Strategy memorandum titled “Statewide Survey Shows Utah Voters Support Restoring Protections to All Areas of Bears Ears,” dated August 28, 2026.
An August 2026 poll of 500 Utah voters found strong support for national monuments, including Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments.