U.S (NATIVE ORGANIZERS ALLIANCE) : YELLOWSTONE AND NATIVE PEOPLE.

 

 

 

Dear friend,         March marks the 150th anniversary of Yellowstone National Park. Established in 1872, it’s the first National Park in the U.S., and one of the first in the world.     However, as Indigenous people, we know that the legacy of the park’s land goes far beyond 150 years. Since time immemorial, the region has been home to many Tribal Nations who still consider Yellowstone their ancestral home.      The National Parks have complex and often dark histories and for many Indigenous people, they represent the loss of traditional homelands and culture.      This anniversary creates opportunities for a national conversation around the governance of our National Parks and public lands.       Federal agencies should incorporate Indigenous voices in the history and future of the National Parks.         We are calling on our network to help build national support around the movement for co-governance.          Now is the time to indigenize the National Park system !           From June 1-3, the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes are hosting an intertribal gathering to honor the Indigenous ways of life practiced in Yellowstone long before 1872 and to explore what tribal relationships with Yellowstone could look like. Native Organizers Alliance is supporting their work in elevating their tribal community’s voice in the conservation and management of Yellowstone and public lands.         Your support will help us continue the push for federal agencies to increase the role and decision-making power of tribes and Indigenous groups in the future conservation and management of national parks starting with Yellowstone!         Hawwih (Thank you),         Judith LeBlanc (Caddo) Executive Director.