Natasha Blakely, natasha.blakely@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, DC – This week, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued an order that would potentially require Interior sites to reinstate any monuments, memorials, statues, or markers that have been removed or altered to reflect a more inclusive and accurate accounting of history. This secretarial order follows an executive order that Donald Trump issued in March calling for the same erasure of history on public lands.
This order is the latest in the administration’s attempt to whitewash the narratives and history presented on national historic sites and public lands across the country. One of Trump’s first moves in his current administration was to order the renaming of Denali, the tallest mountain in North America, to “Mt. McKinley,” a move opposed by Alaska Native communities and the Alaska congressional delegation. In March, the Department of Defense purged thousands of images from their historical records, and other federal agencies have removed mentions of women and members of the LGBTQ+ community from their websites. Alongside these orders, the administration’s proposed budget would cut over $900 million in funding from the National Park Service, severely undercutting the agency’s ability to staff and maintain its sites.
In response, Jackie Ostfeld, Sierra Club Outdoors for All campaign director, said:
“Public lands, including our many monuments, memorials, and statues, are meant to be enjoyed by all. Donald Trump and Doug Burgum are doubling down on their attempts to whitewash history at the same time they’re slashing budgets and firing the workers who maintain these treasured places. There is room in the history books and on our public lands for us all, but the Trump administration is creating a false sense of scarcity by pretending only one group of people can or deserve to have their stories immortalized.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.