YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — This year, Yellowstone Tribal Heritage Center (YTHC) in the Old Faithful area hosted a total 27 Indigenous presenters between May 21 and Oct. 11, Yellowstone Forever (YF) announced last week.
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, YF and partners at Yellowstone National Park (YNP) posted the season’s update on Facebook. Visitors learned how the Park’s landscapes hold cultural significance extending beyond natural beauty through art displays, traditional music and spoken Tribal languages.
According to YF, nearly 60 presenters from 19 of the 27 associated Tribes have contributed to the YTHC space since 2022.
YF confirmed they are committed to supporting Tribal Engagement in Yellowstone and recognize that the connection between nature and culture is not just historical but continues today and into the future. YTHC is now closed for the season and will open again in May 2025.
Looking forward, YF writes on their website that they are developing a winter program with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe, with plans to extend this model to other Tribal groups.
“This program will guide youth through the Park’s winter landscape, blending traditional teachings with the experience of Yellowstone’s unique environment,” YF writes. “Stories of ancestors who thrived in harmony with these lands will be shared alongside lessons on reading the land’s signs and understanding its seasonal rhythms. By fostering this intergenerational connection, the program will nurture a sense of belonging and stewardship that reaches into the future.”
This week, the National Park Service also announced that it has issued a first-ever Director’s Order for agency decision-makers engaging in nation-to-nation consultations with Indian and Alaska Native Tribes.
