perched atop scenic overlooks, and nestled near historic structures in our national parks. But today, these unassuming signboards face a serious threat: the Trump administration’s campaign to reshape and sanitize America’s story.
This isn’t just bureaucratic tinkering. The administration has pressured the National Park Service to review and rewrite interpretive text on exhibits and signage that it deems “anti-American.” In some cases, officials have gone further, asking park visitors to report signs and displays they believe cast the United States in an unfavorable light. Think about that, our national parks, places meant to educate and inspire, are being turned into battlegrounds for ideological purity tests.
What does this mean in practice? It means signs that tell the truth about some of the hardest chapters in our history are at risk:
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Civil War battlefields where signs honestly describe slavery as the central cause of the conflict.
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Native American sites that acknowledge forced removals, massacres, and broken treaties.
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World War II locations like Manzanar, Minidoka, and Tule Lake that tell the painful story of Japanese American incarceration.
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Civil Rights landmarks that document the violence and resistance faced by those who fought for equality.
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Environmental sites such as Glacier or Everglades, where interpretive text describes how climate change is reshaping ecosystems.
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Industrial and mining landscapes where signs explain the damage caused by pollution, clear-cutting, or overuse of natural resources.
Under this campaign, visitors could soon encounter only a whitewashed version of history, one stripped of struggle, diversity, and hard truths. If allowed to stand, this approach reduces our parks to propaganda rather than places of education and reflection. Trump has ordered information deemed inappropriate to be removed by September 17, 2025.
Now more than ever, we must safeguard these echoes of the past before they disappear.
Why It’s Important to Tell the Entire Story
Our national parks are more than scenic backdrops; they are living classrooms that reveal the full scope of America’s natural, cultural, and historic legacy. From the towering sequoias of California to the battlefields of the Civil War, these places tell stories that are both inspiring and difficult. Some celebrate achievement, resilience, and discovery; others confront us with injustice, exploitation, and loss.
If we allow only the comfortable or convenient stories to be told, we lose the richness of our collective past. Interpreting the whole spectrum, beauty and struggle, triumph and tragedy, helps us understand who we are as a nation. It reminds us of what we’ve overcome, and it equips us to confront challenges still before us.
Interpretive signs are one of the most direct ways visitors encounter these lessons. They provide context, amplify diverse voices, and ensure that future generations inherit a history that is truthful, not selective. Preserving these signs is about more than words on a panel, it’s about protecting the integrity of America’s story in all its complexity.
Introducing: The “Save Our Signs” Project
The Save Our Signs initiative is a grassroots effort dedicated to documenting and archiving all history-related interpretive signs across our national parks. Its vision is simple yet powerful: ensure future generations can read, learn from, and reflect on the truths these signs convey, regardless of shifting political winds.
What You Can Do — Today
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Visit a national park: Any one will do. From Yosemite to Acadia, every sign tells a story.
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Snap a photo: Aim for clarity, capture the entire sign, including any contextual elements like nearby artifacts, structures, or landscapes.
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Submit it online: Upload the image (and any notes—location, date, sign text) via the project’s submission portal: Save Our Signs photo submission.
Why this matters:
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Public record: Even if signage is altered or removed, your contribution ensures the original remains accessible.
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Crowdsourced clarity: A database built by volunteers across the country captures diverse signs from major parks to small sites.
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Collective resistance: Taking this small step is a statement. Together, we show that history can’t be erased.
A Call to Action
Calling all history-lovers, hikers, families, park fans, and American patriots, your next trip to a national park can do more than renew your spirit; it can preserve the truth. When you’re there, pause. Look. Photograph.
Tag your photos with something like "SaveOurSigns" if you're sharing on social media, and don’t forget to submit through the project portal so your documentation becomes part of something lasting and impactful.
Here’s how to help move this forward:
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Share this post with your friends, local groups, and on social media. Encourage them to visit their local parks ASAP. Encourage folks to capture every sign imaginable, especially those sharing complex or underrepresented histories.
Forward this post to friends, family, and colleagues who work for the National Park Service and other federal land management agencies. They come in contact with our parks' interpretive displays daily. They are in the best position to capture the vast majority of signs. Encourage these park employees to photograph their park's signs before September 17, 2025.
Together, we can build a lasting archive that resists erasure and honors every story that belongs to our national narrative. Visit a park. Take a photo. Save our signs and the history they tell.
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Meet Sean Smith, a master of conservation, adventure, and storytelling! This award-winning
conservationist and former National Park and Forest Ranger has trekked through the wilderness of Yellowstone, Glacier, Mount St. Helens, and the North Cascades, keeping nature safe with his trusty ranger hat and boots. But Sean's talents don't stop there. He's a TEDx speaker and even a private pilot.
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