A popular spot inside Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona is getting a new name in honor of a Native American tribe that was forcibly removed from the park nearly 100 years ago.
The U.S. Board of Geographic Names voted unanimously earlier this month to change the name of Indian Garden to Havasupai Gardens.
Havasupai Gardens is along the Bright Angel Trail and is a frequent stop for day hikers and backpackers exploring the backcountry of Grand Canyon.
The request to change the name was submitted by the National Park Service on behalf of the Havasupai Tribe.
Originally called Ha'a Gyoh, the National Park Service instituted policies that forced the Havasupai people from Ha'a Gyoh and in 1928, the last Havasupai resident was forcibly removed. Havasupai people continued to live and work within Grand Canyon National Park, despite the forced removal from the inner canyon.
"The eviction of Havasupai residents from Ha'a Gyoh coupled with the offensive name, Indian Garden, has had detrimental and lasting impacts on the Havasupai families that lived there and their descendants," Tribe Chairman Thomas Siyuja, Sr. said in a statement. "Every year, approximately 100,000 people visit the area while hiking the Bright Angel Trail, largely unaware of this history. The renaming of this sacred place to Havasupai Gardens will finally right that wrong."
Efforts are already underway to update signage, website and other materials with the new name.
"The Havasupai people have actively occupied this area since time immemorial, before the land’s designation as a National Park and until the park forcibly removed them in 1926," said Park Superintendent Ed Keable. "This renaming is long overdue. It is a measure of respect for the undue hardship imposed by the park on the Havasupai people."
The Havasupai Tribe and NPS are currently planning a rededication ceremony in early Spring 2023.
Related
Related
