Grand Canyon Intertribal Working Group
Grand Canyon National Park was created without the consent of Indigenous peoples. This resulted in the dispossession of lands within the park from Indigenous communities. Despite this difficult history, in 2013, tribal partners, Grand Canyon National Park, and Grand Canyon Conservancy, developed the Intertribal Working Group (ItWG), made up of representatives from the 11 tribes traditionally associated with Grand Canyon and members of NPS and GCC staff.
Funded by GCC, the ItWG's purpose is to establish intertribal programming and first-voice cultural interpretation across Grand Canyon National Park, in collaboration with the Park Service and GCC. The first major project the group worked on was the creation of the Desert View site as an Inter-tribal Cultural Heritage Site and the implementation of the Cultural Demonstration Program. Since then, more projects have been undertaken with ItWG input and support, including the renaming of Havasupai Gardens, the development of new waysides throughout the park, and the creation of "We Are Grand Canyon," a welcome video from Indigenous perspectives that is shown at the top of each hour at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center.
ItWG Strategic Focus
- Joint development of first-voice interpretation and education programs between tribes and the National Park Service.
- Co-management, employment, and internship opportunities for tribal members.
- Maintain culturally appropriate connections and values among individual tribal groups.
11 Tribal Communities
11 tribes have connections to the lands and resources found within Grand Canyon National Park.
Related Projects
