How to Give Back to Native American Tribes With Each National Park Visit

In 2023, US National Park Service sites attracted over 325 million visitors. This summer, a new initiative has been launched where you can offer a small donation to the Indigenous communities whose ancestral homelands the national parks and monuments occupy.

Launched by Lakota Law, a non-profit organization, The Sacred Defense National Parks and Monuments Initiative strives to foster a deeper connection between visitors and these sites and highlight Indigenous people’s historical and ongoing presence within these lands.

Many national parks and monuments in the US are situated on territory traditionally stewarded by Indigenous people. While some were forcibly removed from these lands, many Indigenous communities continue to reside in or near these protected areas, maintaining a profound cultural and spiritual connection to the land. The Sacred Defense Initiative seeks to address the historical dispossession of Indigenous people and the ongoing challenges they face in asserting their rights and cultural heritage within national parks.

The initiative operates through a voluntary donation program. Visitors planning a trip to a participating national park or monument can donate directly to the associated tribe. Lakota Law lists participating parks and monuments and links to the respective tribal nations. Funds collected are distributed annually to the participating tribes. 100 percent of donations go directly to the communities.

Currently, you can donate to the Indigenous people of 14 national parks and monuments.

Arches National Park, UtahBears Ears National Monument, UtahCrater Lake National Park, OregonDeath Valley National Park, California, NevadaDevils Tower National Monument, WyomingGrand Canyon National Park, ArizonaGrand Teton National Park, WyomingHaleakalā / Hawai’i Volcanoes National Parks, Hawai’iRocky Mountain National Park, ColoradoWhite Sands National Park, New MexicoWind Cave National Park, South DakotaYellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana, and WyomingYosemite National Park, CaliforniaZion National Park, Utah

The program is still in its early stages. However, Lakota Law envisions expanding it to encompass all national parks and monuments in the US, ensuring that visitors can contribute directly to the well-being of the Indigenous communities who have stewarded these lands for generations.

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