Tribal and national parks on American Indian lands.

Abstract

Today there are more than fifty million acres on American Indian reservations and Indian people can determine, to a great extent, what happens on their land. One way Indians can keep the renewable aspect of their land is by considering its use in a nonconsumable way, such as with the creation of parks. This dissertation addresses and analyzes policy and management concerns related to selected parks on the Navajo and Zuni reservations. Any successful venture with Indian people must entail a blend of cultural awareness and sensitivity along with federal-tribal policy and history. To that extent, Indians as ecologists before the arrival of Europeans to this continent, and an extensive review of federal Indian policy is offered. With the establishment of any park certain issues will arise that are significant to the creation and management of the area. The parks analyzed in detail are Monument Valley Tribal Park, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, and the newly established Zuni-Cibola National Historical Park. General processes of management and specific issues of concern are identified and analyzed. Methods of tribal-National Park Service cooperation are discussed. An administrative history of the Navajo Tribal Parks system is also presented.