Journey through the human stories of the Grand Canyon, from ancient Indigenous inhabitants to pioneering explorers and the birth of a national park.
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Twelve Thousand Years of Canyon Life
This series, Voices from the Past, traces the human history of the Grand Canyon — a story that stretches back more than twelve thousand years.
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1
Sacred Home to Eleven Tribal Nations
Eleven tribal nations hold ancestral ties to the Grand Canyon, and for the Havasupai people, the canyon isn't just a spiritual homeland — it's their physical one.
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From Spanish Scouts to Powell's Boats
In 1540, a small detachment of Coronado's expedition became the first Europeans to lay eyes on the Grand Canyon — and they had absolutely no idea what to do with it.
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3
When Miners Became the First Tour Guides
Most of the Grand Canyon's early mining claims never turned a profit from ore — but some struck gold by renting out beds instead.
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Roosevelt's Fight to Protect the Canyon
Theodore Roosevelt first saw the Grand Canyon in 1903 and told the crowd gathered at the South Rim to leave it as it is. He meant it.
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5
Fred Harvey Built the Canyon Experience
Fred Harvey ran a restaurant chain along the Santa Fe Railway, and his company essentially invented Grand Canyon tourism as we know it.
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