Amanda Gorman Instagram – After a directive was issued from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the National Park Service has taken down an exhibit at Muir Woods National Monument that aimed to tell a more complete history of the site. Part of this exhibit sought to add context to the history behind Muir Woods, highlighting the indigenous Southern Pomo and Coast Miwok peoples who were forced from the land, as well as the work of the California Club, a women’s organization that sought to preserve the forest in the early 1900s. These notes also referenced the Spanish missionaries’ enslavement of Native Americans in 1769, as well as John Muir’s own prejudiced and racist language against Native Americans in his writings.
This directive claimed that the exhibit was “unpatriotic”, and now demands that National Parks remove any written content that is critical of American history. It’s no secret that the Trump administration is eager to censor America’s history by removing evidence of the contributions of people of color and their experiences. This latest act of policing highlights the administration’s continual efforts to rewrite history in a way that favors their agendas for power.
Informational exhibits at national parks not only educate and give context to visitors, they also dignify the complex histories of the land and the people who tended to it.
I personally visited Muir Woods last year, and at the time, it felt so special to see acknowledgement of the true history of the park at this exhibit. I am saddened and upset at this censorship, and urge you to join me in supporting the preservation of the true histories of our National Parks and Monuments by donating to the National Parks Conservation Association in my bio. | Posted on 07/Aug/2025 22:42:12
