Native American Removal from National Parks

7 Locations | Curated by Allie Patterson, Brigham Young University

National Parks were created, in part, to protect land and resources from development and business interests. In the process of creating them, however, American Indians who lived in park areas were either pushed out or had their rights to the land significantly reduced. Some lived in the areas of the park year-round, while others used the land seasonally to hunt or collect food. Once the parks were created, these populations faced hunger and poverty as they were forced onto reservations. They lost access to their ancestral homelands and their traditional way of life was challenged. Some park officials used Native Americans to work in the park or as promotional material, exploiting their connection to the land to increase tourism to the parks. Other groups were forced out entirely. Protecting the natural resources and beautiful landscapes of National Parks from developments is valuable. However, certain Native peoples paid the price for their creation, and in order to fully understand and appreciate National Parks, we must take into account the sacrifices they were forced to make and try to rectify them today.

When Yellowstone was created as America’s first National Park, Indian presence was seen as a threat to tourism and to government officials in the area. Yellowstone saw little of the ensuing battles between American Indians and federal troops, but the area remained an important source of tension as Indian land claims were disputed and reconsidered.
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The territory of Crow Indians historically included the eastern half of Yellowstone National Park. After the park’s creation and the relegation of the Crow to a reservation, park officials tried to include them in park ceremonies in an attempt to create a historical narrative that highlighted Western and Great Plains stereotypes for tourists.
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Unlike in other National Parks, the American Indians living in Yosemite Valley were allowed to remain in the park after its creation. They worked as laborers and facilitated the tourist trade. In the 20th century, park officials slowly pushed them out of the valley and destroyed their homes in an attempt to ‘purify’ the park.
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Before the arrival of white settlers, Blackfeet territory included western Montana and southern parts of Canada. Blackfeet land claims were challenged as American settlers moved west and railroads expanded. As a result of starvation and government neglect in the late nineteenth century, they were forced to sell 800,000 acres of their reservation, land that would eventually make up the eastern…
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The Flathead Indian Reservation was created in an attempt to open up Western Montana for American settlers. By the early 20th century, the reservation was completely surrounded by National Forest and the Flathead faced challenges to their hunting rights.
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