Signage Acknowledging Timbisha Shoshone Ordered Removed From Death Valley Exhibits

Just days after Death Valley National Park issued a press release celebrating the shared history and long-term relationship between the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe and Death Valley.  We’ve become aware that the Trump administration has ordered the National Park Service to remove signage acknowledging the tribe from park exhibits.

The directive instructs the National Park Service to remove or revise interpretive signage that recognizes the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe’s historical and ongoing connection to the land within Death Valley National Park.  Secretary’s Order 3431 directs federal land management agencies to conduct comparable audits of all content made available to the public. The order applies to exhibits at locations including the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, where language acknowledging the tribe’s homeland and continued presence has been displayed for years.

The signage was developed through collaboration between the National Park Service and the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe and highlights the tribe’s ancestral ties to the region, predating the establishment of the national park. Some of the language targeted for removal includes statements emphasizing that the Timbisha Shoshone people remain present on their homeland today.

Death Valley publicly highlighted its partnership with the tribe and recognized milestones such as the Timbisha Shoshone Homeland Act of 2000. That legislation formally acknowledged the tribe’s connection to the land and established a framework for cooperation between the tribe and the federal government.

According to federal officials, the signage removal is part of a broader review of interpretive materials across national parks.

​As of January 2026, this issue has sparked public demonstrations. On January 30, 2026, tribal members and allies marched to the visitor center to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Homeland Act. During this event, many participants wore “We Are Still Here” shirts specifically to protest these “malevolent” (as described by some critics) attempts to sanitize the Tribe’s history from the park’s public-facing information.

Parks and Historic Sites with Signage Removal or Alteration

• Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona): Signs referencing displacement of Native Americans and environmental impacts were ordered removed or edited.

• Glacier National Park (Montana): Climate‑change informational signs, including those about glacier retreat and air quality, were flagged for removal or editing.

• Big Bend National Park (Texas): Nearly 20 signs about geology, fossils, and natural history were targeted.

• Zion National Park (Utah): Part of the group of 17 parks where signage is being reviewed or removed.

• Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming): A panel about a historic military massacre involving Native Americans was removed.

• Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (Montana): Text about U.S. policy toward Native Americans and boarding school impacts was flagged/removed.