The Grand Canyon's Next Century

BY ETHAN AUMACK

On February 26, 2019, Grand Canyon National Park turned 100. While we can only presume that the occasion went unnoticed amongst the canyon’s inhabitants that don’t walk on two legs, February 26 was a powerful day for the rest of us. For many, the day was one to celebrate the crown jewel of our national park system. For many, and particularly for Native American tribes who have called the canyon home for millennia, the day was one of commemoration rather than celebration — commemoration of a century of displacement so poignantly described by Ophelia Watahomigie-Corliss in the following pages. And, for many, the day was met with a deep and abiding concern for the future of a place whose designation as a national park hasn’t quelled relentless attempts to exploit and diminish it. 

These interwoven truths associated with Grand Canyon National Park as it enters into its second century are hardly simple. Appreciating their importance and complexity is vital to envisioning a next century that is both sustaining and just for the Grand Canyon and its people. 

The challenges facing Grand Canyon National Park as it moves into its second century are quite incredible.

Burgeoning numbers of visitors, commercial development and industrial extraction pressures on all sides, and climate change will, if unaddressed, undo the sanctity of a place so many of us adore. 

But this is not the canyon’s future. An incredibly diverse community — of traditional-knowledge bearers, river runners, scientists, small business job-creators, land managers, elected officials of all political persuasions, and so many more — has found common cause safeguarding the canyon. Some have taken up the cause to serve as Grand Canyon stewards, as their ancestors have for centuries, while some have come recently and from afar, choosing to dedicate their lives to the Grand Canyon once they’ve fallen under its spell. 

The Grand Canyon’s next century will be defined by what this community has already, incredibly, achieved by working together. Even more importantly, it will be defined by what this community — including the Grand Canyon Trust — is set to achieve in the months, years, and decades to come. The Grand Canyon’s future is far from certain, but our community will rise to the challenge, because we can, and we must.

With gratitude,

Ethan Aumack