Redwood National Park flags books to ban under Trump directive

The iconic Redwood National Park recently singled out Native American-themed books for removal from its visitor centers following a directive from the Trump administration requiring parks to report displays that cast US history in a critical light.

Under the president’s 2025 executive order “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” each Land Management Bureau in the Interior Department must review federal parks, monuments and statues for material that “disparages Americans past or living,” or “emphasizes matters unrelated to the nation’s beauty, abundance, or grandeur.”

Staff at Redwood National and State Parks identified nine titles about tribal history for removal, according to the Lost Coast Outpost.

The banned books were identified by The Washington Post as:

• “California Through Native Eyes” by William Bauer Jr.
• “Adopted by Indians” by Thomas Jefferson Mayfield
• “We are Dancing for You” by Cutcha Risling Baldy
• “We are the Land” by Damon Akins, William Bauer Jr.
• Project 562” by Matika Wilbur
• “California Indians and Their Environment” by Kent Lightfoot
• “Sisters of the Earth” by Lorraine Anderson
• “Grave Matters” by Tony Platt
• Notable Native People” by Adrienne Keene

Three visitor centers made changes to comply with the Trump administration directive: The Hiouchi Visitor Center in Crescent City, the Crescent City Information Center, and the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center in Orick.

However, a spokesperson for the North Coast Redwoods District of California State Parks told the Los Coast Outpost that the visitor center at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park follows California State Parks policy, and no changes are being made to the books or merchandise sold there.

The spokesperson added that California State Parks implements policies set by Gov. Gavin Newsom, including an executive order that established a Truth and Healing Council to examine the state’s historical relationship with California Native American tribes.

California State Parks said it continues to work with the National Park Service to support federal partners in implementing current policies while balancing commitments to communities, park partners and the lands they steward.

The Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center is in Redwood National Park in the Northern California town of Orick.

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