Voices Of Yellowstone

Conceived as a living tribute to the diverse Indigenous Peoples of the Yellowstone region—past, present, and future—the celebration offered an unprecedented opportunity to learn, listen, and honor the enduring relationship between Native communities and this sacred landscape.

The week commenced with an opening ceremony at Arch Park. Beneath the shadow of the Roosevelt Arch, blessings were offered, new and old perspectives spoken, and the audience came together with speakers for a traditional round dance driven by the resonance of a drum circle. As Lisa Diekmann, President and CEO of Yellowstone Forever, reminded the assembled crowd, “We do not view Tribal engagement as a standalone program. It is not a checkbox. It is the essence of who we are and why we exist.”

The spirit of her words reverberated across the ensuing days. Each evening, the Illuminated Teepees stood sentinel against the Montana sky, glowing with color and meaning. This year’s theme, The Lighting of Teepees: Coloring the World of Cultures, welcomed featured Tribal speakers and musicians who shared songs, stories, and teachings. As William Snell Jr. (President of the Pretty Shield Foundation and Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council) explained,  to walk among the teepees was not simply to admire their beauty: “It’s about searching in your heart. What does it mean to walk where other people have walked? People have walked here in moccasins from dozens of tribes. Our presidents have walked here. Feel that and let it heal your heart and mind.”

Beyond the firelit nights, daylight hours revealed a constellation of experiences. The Tribal Art Market, set up at Yellowstone Forever headquarters across from Arch Park, showcased beadwork, quillwork, paintings, and jewelry—each piece a tangible expression of artistry rooted in generations of cultural knowledge. Visitors were invited to support Indigenous makers directly, to carry a fragment of their story home with them.

Midweek, laughter and camaraderie filled Arch Park during an evening of Native Games, hosted by the International Traditional Games Society. From hand games to relay challenges, the activities bridged generations, inviting children and elders alike to learn through play, just as their ancestors once had. For those seeking deeper immersion, cultural tours throughout Yellowstone offered expert perspectives on the land that transcended the geological and ecological, illuminating how Indigenous peoples have interacted with these valleys, rivers, and mountains for millennia.

As the celebration drew to a close, a community potluck on Friday evening wove together the week’s themes of reciprocity and togetherness. Gathered around shared tables, participants exchanged food, laughter, and reflections—a living embodiment of the sacred circle that educator and advocate Joseph Pichardo (Blackfeet) evoked in his opening remarks: “Being here now with family and being surrounded by all this natural beauty, this is an echo of the experiences our Grandmothers and Grandfathers had who were here for millennia... It’s like returning home to a place that knew us.”

The Voices of Yellowstone celebration was more than a calendar of events; it was an invitation to realign perspective. In listening to Indigenous voices, visitors were reminded that Yellowstone is not solely a preserve of geysers and wildlife, but a cultural landscape, a homeland whose significance is carried in memory and practice.

For Jacques Marie Mage, long-time supporters of Yellowstone Forever, such efforts resonate deeply. Our philanthropic commitments are guided by the understanding that wild lands and cultural heritage are inseparable—that stewardship of one requires respect for the other. To stand with the First Peoples of Yellowstone is to affirm that the park’s future, like its past, is shared, and that the stories told here remain vital to the ongoing work of conservation and community.