Grand Canyon National Park's "Minute Out In It" is a collection of short films of the park's nature and culture in action. Enjoy these sights and sounds from the Grand Canyon and be sure to look and listen for them during your next visit to the park.
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The Apache Crown Dance is a ceremonial dance that "celebrates ancestors, community, and traditions while honoring gifts from the Creator." The dancers embody the Gaan (Mountain Spirits), wearing masks and ornate wooden crowns replete with deep symbolism. The dance is done with five members, each with a specific role. Spend a Minute Out In It with the Apache Crown Dancers, from White Mountain Apache--one of the 22 federally recognized tribes in Arizona--as they conduct ceremony at the Grand Canyon.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 55 seconds
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Dr. Cameron Hummels was selected as Astronomer in Residence for the fall of 2023. "My research focuses on the formation and evolution of galaxies like our own Milky Way, over the billions of years that they've been forming. I do this through enormous supercomputing simulations, to follow their evolution, through internal processes like star formation and supernovae, as well as external, like the merging of other galactic systems." Spend a Minute Out In It with Cam teaching astronomy in the backcountry.
- Duration:
- 2 minutes, 9 seconds
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Annie McCone Lopez was Grand Canyon's Artist in Residence for winter 2023. During her time, she made several paintings, including a codex inspired by her Mexican heritage, and the connections that Grand Canyon shares across the southwest through water. "Water is life. My work tries to show that, for the people of the Canyon, water, the Little Colorado River, are serious subjects." Spend a Minute Out In It with Annie as she guides us through her codex, a piece as complex as the water issues in the southwest.
- Duration:
- 2 minutes, 31 seconds
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Laverne Greyeyes is a Navajo rug weaver. Her clan is the Deer Water, and her paternal clan is the Mexican. "I learned weaving from my mom. Through the years, when I was small, that's when we had sheep. We would sheer the sheep, card, spin, and dye the wool. We were doing it very traditionally growing up. The way my mom tells me, weaving has been in our family at least four generations." Spend a Minute Out In It listening to the soothing sounds of wood padding wool--the sound of Laverne's childhood.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 59 seconds
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Hopisinom (the Hopi people) have a traditional calendar that speaks to their connection to the changes in seasons through ceremony. Each moon cycle is named to coincide with the time of year. This time of year, Hopi farmers create windbreakers in the fields to capture the topsoil around the plants. Trees are budding out, the days are longer, warmer. The planting season is near. Spend a Minute Out In It watching Kwiyamuya, the April Windbreaker Moon, rise over Ongtupqa (Grand Canyon).
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 11 seconds
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Dr. Adeene Denton is a planetary scientist interested in giant impacts on Trans-Neptunian Objects. She is also a professional dancer. As Grand Canyon's 9th Astronomer in Residence, Adeene presented several programs on her research and created a dance piece, titled, "Chasing Canyons," which explores the connections between the geology of the Grand Canyon, canyons found on Mars, and how humans are driven to explore both. Spend a Minute Out In It experiencing canyon formation through the lens of modern dance.
- Duration:
- 2 minutes, 34 seconds
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Sunny Dooley is a Diné storyteller residing in Dédeez’á’ Bigháá Ní’didhchíí’byildiz - High Ridge Pine Tree Valley. She shares Hane', or Blessingway stories, and is a former Miss Navajo Nation, 1982. As a storyteller, Sunny shares what has been passed down through generations, having learned the skill from her mother. Spend a Minute Out In It walking to the Canyon with Sunny, as she imparts the wisdom of preserving language and the oral tradition, in one of the most complex and beautiful languages on Earth.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 59 seconds
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It’s a heavy lift to protect public lands! The Boeing-Vertol 234 helicopter recently extracted equipment from Phantom Ranch for the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Rehabilitation Project. Without a WWTP at this popular destination at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, the local creek and river would be spoiled by waste. The original plant was built in the 1980s--for 1980s visitation--the new plant will be built for the 21st century and beyond. Spend a Minute Out In It hitching a ride on the sling of the 234!
- Duration:
- 2 minutes
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Jennifer Hoffman is a professor and astronomer at the University of Denver (DU), where she holds the Womble Chair of Astronomy and directs DU's historic Chamberlin Observatory. Hoffman enjoys exploring the connections between science and art, history, storytelling, and other ways humans experience the world. During her residency, she gave several interactive programs that connected visitors with the cyclical changes in the sky. Spend a Minute Out In It observing the change of the season from Hopi Point.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 53 seconds
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Hopisinom have a traditional calendar that speaks to their connection to the changes in seasons through ceremony. Each moon cycle is named to coincide with the time of year. This time of year, the spiritual beings called Katsinam have returned to the Hopi villages to purify the people. In February, the Katsinam distribute bean sprouts and initiate Hopi children into the Katsina Society. Spend a Minute Out In It watching Powamuya, the February Purification Moon, rise over Ongtupqa (Grand Canyon).
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 26 seconds
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"What are those folks doing in the creek?" Grand Canyon National Park has been conducting a multi-year project to reduce the number of non-native fish in Bright Angel Creek in order to benefit native fish populations. Grand Canyon's native fish are uniquely adapted to the characteristics of the Colorado River and its tributaries and have suffered serious declines due to human-caused changes to their habitat. Spend a Minute Out In It with our Fisheries Crew as they use electrofishing to restore native fish.
- Duration:
- 2 minutes
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Spend a Minute Out In It on the Upper Bridge of Bright Angel Campground. Feel the snowflakes on your face, the cold water beneath. Smell the sweet creek life through the frigid air. We receive these kinds of gifts from the Canyon with every visit--what do we give in return?
- Duration:
- 1 minute
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With an average temperature around 20 degrees F warmer than the Canyon rims, with scorching highs often exceeding 115 degrees F in the summer shade, the desert riparian biome of Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon rarely gets snow. The winter storm on January 16th, 2023 proved an exception, as snow made it down the depths of the Canyon to the Colorado River. Spend a Minute Out In It touring the iconic sites of this Canyon refuge, all adorned with a lovely layer of snow, as fresh as it is rare.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 34 seconds
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Aaron White is of Northern Ute/Diné descent. He is an award-winning Native American flute-maker and lecturer on the history and culture of the flute. Aaron believes music is medicine that can help heal and mend the spirit of people around the world. "We all carry that gift in our heart and soul, our ancestors figured it out long ago--may we continue to pass it along whole-heartedly." Spend a Minute Out In It with Aaron at Yaki Point, as he and the Sun converse through sound and light.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 47 seconds
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The Yavapai-Apache Nation (YAN) is located in the Verde Valley, Arizona, and is comprised of 5 tribal communities: Tunlii, Middle Verde, Rimrock, Camp Verde and Clarkdale. With 2,596 total enrolled tribal members, the YAN consists of two distinct people, the Yavapai and Apache. The Yavapai refers to themselves as Wipuhk’a’bah and speak Yuman, while the Apache refer to themselves as Dil’zhe'e, and speak Athabaskan. Spend a Minute Out In It with Jerry Whagado, a member of the Yavapai, "The People of the Sun."
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 58 seconds
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"Fetishes are part of our religious culture. The six directional animals--the mountain lion, the bear, the badger, the wolf, the eagle and the mole--these animals have the most significance to Zuni." Jeff Shetima has been carving fetishes since he was twelve years old. Held by the Zuni as sacred icons for centuries, fetishes have since been secularized and sold as a way to celebrate their rich culture with the world. Spend a Minute Out In It watching Jeff carve a mountain lion, the guardian of the north.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 55 seconds
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Leo Chee has lived in Cameron, Arizona, a small community on the Navajo Nation just east of Grand Canyon, his whole life. He is self-taught in many traditional crafts such as silversmithing and wood-carving. "It's a lot of work. Especially the polishing, polishing a bracelet like this. Because that polisher spins real fast, and if you make a mistake it'll grab it and throw it at you!" Spend a Minute Out In It watching Leo work at Desert View Watchtower as part of the park's Cultural Demonstration Series.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 58 seconds
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For most of the year, the Grand Canyon Black Tarantula (Aphonopelma marxi) spends most of its time in burrows, only moving short distances at night to hunt. In fall, it can be seen wandering the Canyon by day, in search of a mate. For the Navajo, the tarantula is called Naał’aashii, and is a respected invertebrate created in the First World. Spend a Minute Out In It with Naał’aashii, as it walks the juniper forests of the Fourth World, forecasting to Navajo Country the upcoming winter weather.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 8 seconds
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One of the best times of the year to watch sunset at Grand Canyon is during the summer monsoon. Thunderstorms sweep over the Canyon in the afternoon, dispensing heavy rain and violent lighting. If we are lucky, they depart just before sunset, the lingering clouds and distant lightning making for one of the most spectacular light displays on Earth. This lightning storm was at least 40 miles away, making it safe to film on the rim. Spend a Minute Out In It under purple and gold skies near Yavapai Point.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 27 seconds
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Bryan Joe is a second-generation silversmith, having learned the trade from his father, and now teaching it to his son. "The craft has been in the family since my dad started 50 years ago. He learned the basics from his uncle, who in Navajo I call my 'Nali,' and from there went on to start his business. He was only 23 and ran with some of the best galleries in the Four Corners. Not a lot of people know that." Spend a Minute Out In It with Bryan in the Hopi House, passing down tradition one bead at a time.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 59 seconds
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"Kachinas are spiritual deities. This kachina doll represents the Manangya (lizard), one that I saw on my last pilgrimage through the Canyon. The design shows the South and North Rims, as you're at the bottom looking up into the night sky. Every night you'll have that experience. During our prayers when we talk about the day's journey, we look up, and the stars show themselves to you." Spend a Minute Out In It listening to why Cory Ahownewa puts his heart into carving traditional Hopi Kachina dolls.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 59 seconds
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"All the materials I use come from the Earth. I don't buy anything in stores to make pottery." Darlene James is a descendent of Nampeyo, the famous Hopi potter who revived the traditions of ancient pottery at the turn of the twentieth century. Nampeyo demonstrated her craft in the Hopi House on the South Rim from 1905-1907. Over 100 years later, Darlene keeps the tradition alive, demonstrating her masterful craft in the very same building. Spend a Minute Out In It making art from the clay of canyon country.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 59 seconds
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"I grew to love the dark--That I could see so little and within it, just enough." Lauren Camp was selected as Grand Canyon's fourth Astronomer in Residence to explore through the written word the subtle emotions, aesthetic qualities, and complex thoughts we all feel under the vastness of the night skies. The Grand Canyon has welcomed a long history of poets who have attempted to capture its beauty with the pen--spend a Minute Out In It listening to Lauren read a night poem created during her residency.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 58 seconds
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One of the most historic ways to arrive to the Grand Canyon is on the old spur line created by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway. Since 1901, the train has carried passengers from Williams, AZ to the South Rim daily. Due to the rise of the automobile, passenger service ceased in 1968. In 1989, passenger service continued--ten years later, Grand Canyon Railway was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Spend a Minute Out In It exploring the history "underneath" this timeless trip!
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 34 seconds
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Always on the move, the Pygmy nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea) is one of the more energetic native song birds of the Grand Canyon. It is identified by its blue-grey color on the dorsal side, and a well-defined greyish crown. The chest and belly are puffy white, their bill, straight and sharp. Walking through the Ponderosa pine forest, you may see them digging into the crevices of the vanilla-scented conifers. Take a Minute Out In It to appreciate how hard it was to get a minute of this bird in the camera frame!
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 11 seconds
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On May 4th, 2023, Grand Canyon National Park hosted a dedication ceremony for the renaming of Indian Garden to Havasupai Gardens. The Havasupai had lived in the beautiful riparian land, 3000-feet below the South Rim, since time immemorial. They were forcibly removed by the National Park Service in the 1920s. The Ram Dancers came to celebrate the name-change, and to spark a new era of collaboration between the NPS and the Havasupai tribe. Spend a Minute Out In It listening to songs of transformation.
- Duration:
- 2 minutes, 28 seconds
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While most of Grand Canyon National Park is managed as Wilderness, there are many reasons why visitors might hear Helicopter 368, known as The Bumblebee, flying in and out of the Canyon. Medical evacuations, emergency repairs to the water pipeline, critical supply transport, are a few exceptions. In this case, a Havasupai tribal member was escorted by park staff to the inner canyon to assist the park in creating interpretive exhibits focused on indigenous voices. Take a Minute Out In It to catch a flight!
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 30 seconds
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Often found hovering above rabbitbrush, the White-lined Sphinx moth (Hyles lineata) is an important pollinator for the plants at Grand Canyon. The Sphinx moth is diurnal, meaning it's active during the day. They move like hummingbirds, hovering over plants with their fast beating wings—which can move as quickly as 70 flaps per second! This trick predators into believing it's a bird, allowing it to pollinate in peace. Take a Minute Out In It to sip some nectar with our colorful Canyon companion!
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 3 seconds
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The Dupkia Hoyam Dancers are a group from the Hopi Tribe who perform traditional dances in and around the Grand Canyon. The name Dupkia Hoyam means "Children of the Canyon" in the Hopi language. Singers Fred Nanacasia and Michael Wadsworth are also National Park Service employees for the park. Here, the group performs the Invading Young Buffaloes Dance. Spend a Minute Out In It with Dupkia Hoyam, whose families have been traditionally affiliated with the Grand Canyon since time immemorial.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 43 seconds
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Between the Manzanita Rest Area and Cottonwood Campground along the North Kaibab Trail, one can't miss the surge of Split Rock Falls. It is one of many cascades that enliven Bright Angel Creek as it makes its journey toward the Colorado River. From Split Rock Falls, the creek still has another 8 miles (12.8 km) to meander until its confluence with the mighty river. When it's hot out, hikers are encouraged to get in the creek to keep their temperatures down. Take a Minute Out In It to take a dip!
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 13 seconds
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Seen from rim to river, often hidden in plain sight, the bobcat (Lynx rufus) is as adaptable as it is elusive. A crepuscular predator, it prefers to hunt at twilight. Despite all this, sometimes they can be seen eating dead deer, midday...directly on the park's most popular trail. This cat was hazed off trail by rangers to avoid dangerous encounters with visitors, its kill moved so it could eat in peace. Spend a Minute Out In It watching this feline curl up in the riparian thicket, waiting for delivery.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 24 seconds
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Cooling off in the creeks along Bright Angel Trail, one may notice a microcosm of insects as colorful and complex as the Canyon walls themselves. While similar to dragonflies, the keen observer will notice that damselflies are generally smaller, with smaller eyes proportional to the head. At rest, a dragonfly's wings sit perpendicular to the body, while a damselfly's wings run parallel. Spend a Minute Out In It contemplating worlds within worlds, finding beauty in the smallest threads of the Grand Tapestry.
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 2 seconds
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The monsoon at the Grand Canyon is one of nature's finest spectacles. Striking the rim about 25,000 times per year, lightning is so prevalent it has influenced the evolution of the local flora. The Ponderosa Pine has adapted a thick, plated bark to survive the annual fires caused by lighting. Their limbs grow high up the trunk to avoid fire catching their crowns. Spend a Minute Out In It seeing why this ranger placed the camera under a safe outpost and admired the storm from the safety of the indoors!
- Duration:
- 1 minute, 30 seconds
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“For me and the Havasupai people who came here today, we came to recognize this area as our own, and to officially change the name to Havasupai Gardens, and back to our traditional name, Ha’a Gyoh. To us, that is very important because it’s a symbol, almost saying that this is always going to be part of us now—forever. What was once taken away, is slowly being returned. The first step is a name, the second step is we are here—physically.” Spend a Minute Out In It in the first phase of healing: recognition.
- Duration:
- 2 minutes, 24 seconds
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In an oral interview, Carletta Tilousi recalled, "I helped facilitate with the Grand Canyon Park [sic] to bring approximately twenty Havasupai elders about fifteen years ago. And when they came here, the first thing they said was, 'We didn't forget you. We didn't forget you, Havasupai Gardens. Just know that--please forgive us, we never forgot you. We were just asked to leave. But now we are back." Spend a Minute Out In It witnessing, through song and prayer, life returning to a never-forgotten land.
- Duration:
- 2 minutes, 7 seconds
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" I believe more younger Havasupai need to be here, to remember that they come from very strong ancestors that learned how to farm, how to exist in a canyon. Once you learn that, you become one with the area. You feel a sense of belonging, a sense of identity. This is where they need to come--to see, to feel this land." Spend a Minute Out In It with the Havasupai people, as they celebrate the name change of Indian Garden to Havsupai Gardens, and pass on the knowledge of their lands to the next generation.
- Duration:
- 2 minutes, 9 seconds
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"Ha'a Gyoh," parts 1, 2, and 3--the full film in one link.
- Duration:
- 6 minutes, 45 seconds
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