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Native American History & Culture in Parks

National parks help preserve and connect people to Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Indigenous heritage – past and present.
NPF's Native American Fund
  • Stewardship
    Indigenous peoples are the first stewards of these lands. NPF supports working with Indigenous communities to ensure cultural and traditional practices are woven throughout national parks.
  • Expanding Stories
    NPF is committed to helping to expand the stories and perspectives shared through national parks, including past and current generations of Indigenous peoples.
  • Collaborative Leadership
    NPF supports NPS trainings and conferences so that NPS can develop collaborative relationships with Federally Recognized Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations.

Honoring Communities of Indigenous Peoples

National parks share stories of Indigenous peoples, including Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian, both historically and present day. Most, if not all, of the lands in today’s national parks were once home to Indigenous peoples. From Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and Navajo National Monument, our national parks preserve, protect, and honor the historic and present stories of the communities tied to these lands.

The National Park Foundation (NPF)’s work helps rehabilitate and preserve historic sites and artifacts in national parks across the country. NPS, NPF, and tribal partners are working to increase collaboration, connect communities to national parks, and expand storytelling in parks to share a more comprehensive history of the U.S. so we can all gain a greater understanding of our land’s history.

NPF uses the language Indigenous peoples, Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian. While the intent is to honor inclusivity and be representative of various ways that people identify, we recognize that this language does not account for all identities. We recognize the importance of and need for specificity in reference to distinct communities.