Indigenous people have stewarded Greater Yellowstone’s lands, waters, and wildlife since time immemorial. The exclusion of Native voices and perspectives within the Western conservation movement has caused harm to Indigenous communities and the ecosystem alike. Today, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition is working with Tribal partners to elevate Indigenous voices and protect the cultural, spiritual, and ecological integrity of Greater Yellowstone.
Attend cultural events in Yellowstone Park
The term Native American is typically used in political and academic matters. When Native Americans refer to themselves and to personal matters, they might use Indian, American Indian, First American, First Peoples, or Indigenous Peoples instead of Native American.
For over 10,000 years before Yellowstone became a national park, it was a place where Native Americans lived, hunted, fished, gathered plants, quarried obsidian, and used thermal waters for religious and medicinal purposes. Today, there are at least 27 Tribes who have historic and modern connections to the lands and resources now found within the park.
Indigenous cultural events in Yellowstone
Check the online calendar, NPS App, or at visitor centers for additional daily activities and events happening throughout the park.
Yellowstone Tribal Heritage Center
2024 dates TBD | Old Faithful area | Learn more
The Yellowstone Tribal Heritage Center is a space where Indigenous artists, scholars, and presenters from the 27 Tribes associated with the park directly engage with visitors through formal and informal education. The center is a partnership between the National Park Service and Yellowstone Forever, with Indigenous consultation.