‘We should all be ashamed’: Huffman calls out reported plan to sanitize National Parks exhibits

 

The Trump administration has come under fire this week for attempting to “sanitize” and “erase history” at National Parks sites throughout the county.

On Monday, the Washington Post broke news that the Trump administration had ordered the removal of signs and exhibits highlighting the history of slavery at several National Parks sites. Following an Executive Order issued in March and a Secretarial Order issued by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in May, the National Parks Service and other portions of the Department of Interior have been enjoined to evaluate exhibitions and remove “descriptions, depictions or other content that inappropriately disparage Americans past or living … and instead focus on the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people …”

The Interior Department disputes the Washington Post’s claims. A spokesperson told the Times-Standard via email that the article is “riddled with inaccuracies.”

“The Department is implementing Secretary’s Order 3431, which carries out the President’s Executive Order on ‘Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,’ ” a statement provided by that spokesperson reads. “The President has directed federal agencies to review interpretive materials to ensure accuracy, honesty and alignment with shared national values.

“Reviews are site-specific. Any proposed changes will follow established legal and policy procedures. Implementation is underway, but timelines will vary by site. Each bureau will follow departmental guidance to complete reviews consistent with the Executive Order and Secretary’s Order.”

Fallout from the report

On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources heard testimony from NPS Associate Director of Park Planning, Facilities and Lands Michael Caldwell. Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) pressed Caldwell on the administration’s ongoing efforts to review interpretive materials and potentially censor or sanitize depictions of American history.

“Just this week, Trump ordered the park service to remove signs and exhibits relating to slavery, including this iconic photograph which shows the atrocious violence committed against slaves,” Huffman said in opening remarks. “… True patriotism means acknowledging our nation’s history in its entirety, including our mistakes, so that we can learn and grow from it. An honest reckoning with the past is the only way to build a more perfect union. We should all be ashamed that this administration is doing this stuff on our watch …”

Caldwell denied the accusation, saying “the department, to my knowledge, has not ordered, instructed, anyone to remove content about slavery.”

Coalition To Protect America’s National Parks Executive Director Emily Thompson issued a statement on Tuesday calling the reported ordered removal of interpretive materials “a dangerous and unprecedented move.”

“… The removal of historical information from national parks and monuments undermines the core mission of these public spaces: to educate, preserve and provide an honest reflection of our nation’s past — so that we can build a better future together,” Thompson said. “Whether it’s the legacy of Indigenous displacement, slavery, civil rights struggles, or environmental exploitation, these stories deserve to be told accurately and respectfully.

“Their removal is, in fact, what disparages our collective history. National parks must remain places where all people can engage with the full, unfiltered story of America, acknowledging the reality of all of those who came before.”

The review process

Thompson told the Times-Standard on Friday morning that this is likely the first foray into what will be a broader effort to target historical exhibitions that touch on a broad swathe of topics from climate science to LGBTQ+ rights. She said that the coalition’s understanding was that parks employees, out of an abundance of caution, flagged a broad selection of items that would be reviewed and potentially censored.

“(Parks staff) were instructed to flag these items, and they would be reviewed, and our understanding now is that parks are starting to receive emails that are notifying them that some of these flagged items are ‘out of conformance.’” Thompson said. “And they’ve been instructed to develop replacement content and then submit that content for review … within about 14 days of receiving a notification that they have materials — that could be signs, waysides, brochures, films — that are ‘deemed out of conformance.’”

In July of this year, KQED reported that Muir Woods National Monument in Marin County proactively “removed signage that spotlighted Indigenous history, women’s contributions to the park and instances of racism in the space’s history” in accordance with Executive Order 14253.

According to the Washington Post, the administration has already targeted exhibits at Independence National Historical Park and Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park, including a 1863 photograph called “The Scourged Back” depicting the heavily scarred back of a former slave. That photograph is, according to the Interior Department, still on display.

“Great countries don’t hide from their history,” National Parks Conservation Association Senior Director of Cultural Resources Alan Spears said in a prepared statement Tuesday. “We learn from the past and confront it when necessary. The ‘Scourged Back’ photograph shocked the nation and the world with its honest depiction of the vicious nature of slavery. The decision to remove this photograph from the interpretive displays at national parks is as shameful as it is wrong.”

Thompson said that the administration’s Executive and Secretarial Orders are efforts to censor and sanitize history at National Parks, and it should concern all Americans. She said that we should be reaching out to our representatives to express that concern and put pressure on the Trump administration.

“This is an effort to sanitize history in National Parks,” Thompson said. “These are materials that are not factually incorrect. No one is asking if they are true or questioning their veracity. Parks are being asked to remove things that might make some people uncomfortable, but our country has a complex history, so we should be able to celebrate accomplishments but continue to acknowledge that there are opportunities here to learn from the past.”

The Times-Standard reached out to Redwood National and State Parks to learn more about any material potentially flagged for review by the Interior Department. A representative could not be reached in time for publication.

Robert Schaulis can be reached at 707-441-0585.