Over the past several weeks, National Park Service staff have removed or begun editing dozens of signs, exhibits, and displays that address climate change, environmental protection, and the treatment of Native Americans by settlers and the U.S. government.
The actions follow directives from Trump administration officials enforcing President Donald Trump’s executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” The order instructs federal agencies to review public-facing materials and remove content viewed as partisan or as portraying Americans, past or present, in a negative light.
Scope of the removals
According to documents reviewed by The Washington Post and confirmed by Reuters, staff were instructed this month to remove or revise materials at at least 17 national parks. Some removals took place earlier, including actions ordered in August and September.
Among the parks affected are Grand Canyon, Glacier, Big Bend, Zion, and several historic sites across Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. In Philadelphia, an exhibit discussing George Washington’s ownership of enslaved people was taken down last week at Independence National Historical Park.
The Interior Department, which oversees the National Park Service, confirmed it is implementing the executive order. In a statement, the department said all interpretive materials are being reviewed for accuracy, honesty, and alignment with shared national values, and that appropriate action is being taken after those reviews.
Changes at major parks
At Grand Canyon National Park, staff removed portions of a visitor center exhibit that described settlers exploiting land for mining and grazing, and federal officials pushing tribes off their land to establish the park. References to overgrazing by cattle ranchers, careless tourist behavior, and excessive profit from tourism were also taken out.
Park staff flagged additional materials for possible changes, including a video on Native American history. Suggested edits included removing references to federal policies that restricted Native American cultural practices and language, describing historical suffering and loss.
Glacier National Park saw several climate-related materials targeted. A brochure showing retreating glaciers and stating that human-caused climate change contributes to their decline was flagged for removal or revision. A video referencing glacier loss and a sign reading “Climate Change Affects National Parks and the Treasures They Protect” were also ordered to be changed or removed.
Other Glacier displays discussing air pollution, wildfire risk, and a nearby dam that flooded two lakes inside the park were included in the review. Air quality monitoring at national parks was paused last year.
Unexpected targets at Big Bend
At Big Bend National Park in Texas, nearly 20 signs were flagged, many covering geology, fossils, and prehistoric history. The removal orders did not clearly explain why those displays failed to meet the new policy standards.
Some exhibits were bilingual, and others described cooperation with Mexico on conservation efforts. While park staff did not advocate changing those materials, administration officials determined they did not comply with the executive order and ordered them altered or removed.
Former Big Bend superintendent Bob Krumenaker said park employees are following instructions from above and not making independent decisions.
Additional sites affected
Less prominent parks and historic sites were also included. At Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site in Colorado, a sign referencing the forced removal of a Native tribe, slave ownership, and a historical miscarriage was slated for removal.
At Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site in Arizona, a panel about Navajo leader Ganado Mucho was listed for change. Grand Teton National Park was ordered to remove or revise a panel stating that Gustavus Cheyney Doane participated in a U.S. Army massacre of Piegan Blackfeet people.
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Montana was directed to change text describing the United States as seeking land and gold while breaking promises to Native Americans. Another exhibit discussing U.S.-run boarding schools that erased Indigenous language and culture was also flagged.
Reaction from park advocates
The National Parks Conservation Association said the changes conflict with the agency’s mission to present accurate natural and cultural history. Kristen Brengel, the group’s senior vice president of government affairs, said park employees understand the history being altered but feel pressure to comply with administration orders.
Civil rights and advocacy groups have raised concerns that the review process removes context from well-documented events in American history. The Trump administration has defended the effort as a correction to what it describes as biased or revisionist narratives in public institutions.
For now, park visitors may continue to see exhibits disappear or change as reviews move forward. The National Park Service has not released a full list of affected materials or a timeline for completing the process.
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