Beautiful. Vast. Untamed. While many describe America’s national parks and serene landscapes with these words, one term often overlooked is: homeland.

Albert Brent Chase, a Navajo (Diné) educator and language teacher, shared this perspective during an Adventures by Disney trip through Arizona and Utah: “When visitors come from far away, they are stepping onto the lands that have been walked by our ancestors.”

Disney’s guided travel service aims to connect visitors to destinations through the experiences and narratives of local people. On this expedition, many of the guides were Navajo and Hopi, tribes deeply linked to the sites they explored on the Colorado Plateau.

Chase emphasized, “We want visitors to the Southwest to understand that this is our home. The Navajo story is just one among many; each tribe has its own distinct stories and cultural heritage.”

America’s national parks and scenic vistas, while often praised for their stunning beauty, also possess profound importance as the ancestral lands of Native tribes. Through immersive experiences and storytelling, Indigenous voices are revealing the deep-rooted history and connections tied to these areas, enabling travelers to appreciate more than just the visual beauty.

The First Peoples

There are 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States, with many more that lack federal acknowledgment.

The National Park Service notes, “The narratives and heritage of the first peoples who inhabited this land run deep. We are dedicated to collaborating with American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians to preserve their cultural heritage and celebrate tribal identities.”

However, this commitment has not always been evident. When Chuck Sams became the National Park Service Director in 2022, he told YSL News that his visits to the parks 30 years prior revealed a lack of acknowledgment for the people who have lived there for millennia.

Sams, who identifies as Cayuse and Walla Walla, is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon and has advocated for greater co-management of the parks with Native tribes.

“Many parks are emphasizing the importance of giving Indigenous voices a platform to share their own narratives and full histories with visitors,” said Dorothy FireCloud, NPS Native American Affairs Liaison. “Across the country, parks are forming collaborative relationships with tribes and Indigenous communities to enhance visitor interpretation.”

Parks like Glacier, Glacier Bay, and Yellowstone offer opportunities for visitors to engage with tribal members and learn about their histories. Specific information can be found on the National Park Service’s website and app.

Building Connections

Personal interactions are key to fostering connections with both people and places, as Derrick Suwaima Davis, another Native storyteller, has learned firsthand.

“For me, traveling and engaging with others teaches me about their culture, allowing me to share mine in a unique way. It helps us find common threads of culture, balance, and the desire for safety,” he remarked, his voice hoarse from an evening of storytelling in Sedona, Arizona.

Davis, who identifies as Hopi and Choctaw, hails from Orayvi (Oraibi), one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities on the continent, located within the Hopi Reservation, surrounded entirely by Navajo Nation in Arizona.

“Our cultural land extends beyond what is currently recognized as our boundaries,” he explained. Historical tribal homelands do not align with present-day borders. “We still collaborate with other.

groups or regions, private properties, or government areas to explore numerous sacred locations.

Earlier in the night, while playing traditional flute and drums, he recounted Hopi legends about rising from the earth and our responsibilities as caretakers of it.

“For us, it’s important to recognize that even our own physical form isn’t truly ours. Eventually, it will return to the land from which it originated,” he stated. “I encourage everyone to reflect on their identity, their purpose, and to fully embrace their human experience, making the most out of it.”

Honoring Heritage

Chase asked the tour group to consider their origins, emphasizing that he wasn’t only asking about their American roots.

“Where do your ancestors originate from?” he repeated, talking with YSL News just a short distance from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. “They must remember their heritage.”

He has dedicated his life to maintaining and sharing the Navajo legacy and has been involved in developing educational programs for Navajo schools.

“We feel fortunate to move forward through generations, imparting knowledge and leaving our mark on this planet, ensuring that we’ve educated not just our own community, but everyone, to forge connections.”

During his talk, he wove in narratives on various topics, from basket weaving to Native American boarding schools and Navajo code talkers, interspersed with performances by a dance group.

“We don’t identify as entertainers,” he mentioned. “We think of ourselves as cultural instructors and educators through music, dance, and storytelling.”

He aspires to motivate people to delve deeper into their own learning.

“You might discover aspects that complete you and enhance your personal journey,” he advised. “Perhaps something to enrich your spiritual path, which you can share with others.”

Still Present

Don Mose III, also Navajo, wants travelers to understand, “We’re still here.”

“Many of our brothers and sisters around the country may not realize that we continue to exist and thrive,” he expressed in Monument Valley during one of the trip’s final evenings.

While a lot of people might recognize Monument Valley’s remarkable buttes from movies like “Stagecoach” and “Forrest Gump” or even Disney’s Soarin’ Around the World, they might be unaware that it resides within the Navajo Nation or has its own equivalent of a national park, the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.

“However, there’s much more than just the breathtaking views. There’s a spirit present, and you can feel it if you truly connect with yourself,” Mose stated.

He mentioned that the entire area is sacred, and the group felt its significance as Mose and his band performed music and shared stories by a fire, surrounded by red rock under the night sky. Multiple times, like Chase and Davis, they invited visitors to join in dancing around the fire.

“Seeing the little children get involved was heartwarming. That’s a memory they will carry for a lifetime,” he beamed. “We all need to understand a bit about each other’s cultures; it would greatly benefit us all.”

Apart from Adventures by Disney trips and national parks, travelers looking to gain more insight through Native-led tours can explore options nationwide with the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association’s website, NativeAmerica.travel.