We are excited to invite you to join us at Grand Canyon National Park to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. Throughout the month on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, we will be hosting a series of events, performances, dances, and special programs in honor of the rich cultural heritage of Indigenous communities.
For decades, the Grand Canyon community has come together to plan Native American Heritage celebrations, offering both locals and visitors an enriching experience. This year, we’re excited to present a variety of unique opportunities to learn, connect, and celebrate through events led by park staff, community members, and tribal members from associated tribes.
We hope to welcome you to any and all of these events, and we look forward to sharing this meaningful celebration with you!
The Grand Canyon is an important spiritual place for my people. This is a place of prayer, not just for my Zuni people, but other tribes that call this home, because this is our home.
Celebrations & Events All Month Long:
Podcast Release Party
Date: Friday, November 1, 2024
Time: 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Location: Grand Canyon Visitor Center Theater
Join in celebrating the release of the second season of Grand Canyon Speaks! This podcast gives Indigenous people a platform to share their stories and cultures with the world. A special panel of guest speakers will share about their time recording with Grand Canyon and what it's like to be a voice on season two. Get ready to celebrate with a countdown to the release of the first epsiodes! To conclude this event, we will have a special performance from the Nelson Family.
Guest speakers will include Zane Jacobs, 2023-24 Zuni Royalty Keia Gasper and Jaynie Lalio, Ciara Minjarez, and Shalitha Peaches.
The Cultural Demonstration program provides an opportunity for park visitors and community members to interact with tribal artisans from Grand Canyon's traditionally associated tribes - and for them to share their history and expression of culture, along with the skills, knowledge, and efforts involved in creating their art.
November 19 at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center: Native American Hertiage Month Festival will also host Cultural Demonstrators for the event's festivities.
Joseph Secody, an award-winning hoop dancer.
Joseph Secody
Special Performances
Please join us for special singing and dancing performances by the ‘Little Wranglers’ (Markell Boy Mariano and Tyelane Becenti) on November 5, and a hoop dance by Joseph Secody on November 7.
**CANCELLED** Grand Canyon Speaks! - Veterans Day Special Interview
A Grand Canyon Speaks podcast interview will be conducted with guest interviewee Skylar Blackbull who is a Diné artist from New Mexico. This interview will be held in honor of Veterans Day as Skylar walks us through a series of artwork that focuses on the Navajo Code Talkers and how they have, along with other Veterans, influenced her creative journey.
Date: **Event Cancelled due to Unforeseen Circumstances**Monday, November 11, 2024
Time: 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Location: Desert View Ampitheater (Interview will be in the Desert View Watchtower if there is inclement weather.)
Zuni Royalty visit the Desert View Watchtower.
NPS
Community Celebration
Date: Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Time: 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Location: Shrine of the Ages
This event, organized by dedicated community members for several decades, honors the rich traditions, stories, and contributions of Native American cultures associated with the Grand Canyon. Through this celebration, we offer a unique opportunity to connect with and learn from local tribal members and experience the vibrant expressions of Indigenous heritage through a special dance performance. This year's performance features Apache Crown Dancers. 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 Spririts), wearing masks and ornate wooden crowns. The ceremony is believed to bring good fortune and health to the community. Join us for the crown dance ceremony!
Dupkia Hoyam Hopi Dancers performance at the Visitor Center Plaza, June 2023.
NPS/C Kraus
Native Youth Art Show
Dates: Thursday, November 14; Friday, November 5; Monday, November 18; Wednesday, November 20; & Thursday, November 21
Time: 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Location: Desert View Tribal Welcome Center (located beside the
Trading Post and Deli in Desert View).
Young artists from the 11 Associated Tribes will showcase their artwork to celebrate the connections they have with the physical and cultural landscape of the Grand Canyon. Stop by to admire this gallery in the Desert View Tribal Welcome Center, located inbetween the Desert View Trading Post and Deli.
Native American Heritage Month Festival
Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Time: 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Location: Grand Canyon Visitor Center and Plaza. (For inclement weather, performances will take place in the Shrine of the Ages Auditorium.)
Let's celebrate Native American Heritage Month with a day full of prayers, performances, cultural demonstrators, and Indigenous Royalty!
Opening and Closing Prayers
Performances: Dupkia Hoyam Hopi Dancers, Zuni Dance Group
Guest Speakers
Cultural Demonstrators: Iva Honyestewa, Don Decker, April Unkestine, Janet Yazzie (Ann Marie and Duane Koyawena are also demonstrating at the Desert View Watchtower)
If you are not able to join us in person, you can celebrate the rich culture and history of those who call Grand Canyon home by watching We Are Grand Canyon, by listening to a podcast episode of Grand Canyon Speaks! and Behind the Scenery, or check out our Minute Out-In-It Videos. Links to learn more are listed to the right.
Native American Heritage Month Event Calendar
We hope you can join in on celebrating Native American Heritage Month! Check out the calendar of events below where you will find more details, locations, and times.
The Little Wranglers are a Diné (Navajo) youth performance group from Tohatchi, New Mexico. Through song and dance, they carry on traditional teachings and history of the Diné people. Each performance has a healing purpose and is a major part of Diné culture. This dance features Snowflake Blackwell, who was recently crowned Inter-Tribal Little Miss Ceremonial. Spend a Minute Out In It with the Little Wranglers, as they reconnect with their cultural traditions--an essential part of their growing identities.
