In Marin County, California, nestled amongst the ancient, towering redwoods, is the Muir Woods National Monument. Deep in the old-growth forest, the monument came under fire after the Trump Administration flagged signage for several examples of “corrosive ideology”, including information regarding the contribution of women to saving the redwoods. This information was censored by the National Park Service under President Trump’s executive order from last year, Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History. Under this, the President seeks to use the Executive Branch and its dependencies to purge “improper” and “distorted” narratives from federal sites (The White House). In a long line of monuments and exhibits being targeted by this order, the Muir Woods National Monument’s appreciation of female activism has put it under scrutiny.
The signage that detailed the work of the women came into place under the National Park Service’s “History Under Construction” plan, which sought to, “[fill] in gaps in the timeline of the park to offer a more comprehensive history of the monument in Marin County, California” (Kutz). Part of this included highlighting the work of The California Club, a women’s organization that launched the first campaign to save what was then called Sequoia Canyon. The National Park Service’s “History Under Construction” project was instated in 2021 under the Biden Administration. Under the Trump administration, it was therefore seen as having been a part of “revisionist” ideology made to politicize true American history. However, National Park Service Employees flagged this as the old plan had been instated in 2021, under the Biden Administration, and was therefore seen, under the new order, as having been a part of “revisionist” ideology made to politicize true American history.
Why highlighting the important, historic role a women’s organization held in protecting the redwood forests encompassing Muir Woods National Monument is against “Truth and Sanity” may not be clear, but that is not the only “offensive” piece at this federal site. True to form, the Administration glorifies the men associated with the monument, removing information detailing them as anti-Asian racists who laid the groundwork for Japanese interment, and eugenicists that supported “selective breeding” for the improvement of the human race (Kutz). Moreover, mentions of the original caretakers of the land, the Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo tribes, were removed. Why the people who stewarded the land for thousands of years cannot be honored is a wonder, but in a Donald Trump America it seems keen to avoid mention of Native Americans on modern U.S. soil. Indeed, the legacy of In the end, the Trump administration chose to glorify the male founders of the park, while erasing the darker aspects, Native American history, and the incredible work of strong, powerful women. Though, The California Club was not the only thing erased from Muir Woods National Monument, it is no less important to remember and honor the work of trailblazing women who sought to protect this nation’s wonderous ecology, despite the erasure they now face.
Author’s Note: It was insightful to learn about the work of the women in The California Club, and how their campaign was the actual first to protect the incredible, primeval redwood forests in the area. This learning made it all the more mind-bending to think about how and why this information was flagged by the Trump Administration under the Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History order. As highlighted in its introduction, the order served primarily to rewrite anything that depicted American history as, “inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed” (The White House). In the case of the men who helped create the monument and their problematic histories, the jurisdiction of the order is, at least, obvious. Though more of a stretch, even the inclusion of Native American tribes could be included, since it was because of the U.S. expansionism that they are no longer there, and this is obviously not a point of pride due to the violent ways in which Americans often “conquered” native lands. However, to remove mention of The California Club, a pioneering organization that should be celebrated and praised, shows clearly that the point of the Trump Administration’s purge is not to protect the American legacy, but to blatantly remove anything non-white, non-male, and inglorious. For, under Trump’s America, it seems, the women must be silent, the men must be champions, and everything must be white, or sugarcoated. Let us never forget the work of The California Club, the Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo tribes, nor all the the nuances that come with the history of a great nation such as the U.S., and such a legacy will forever stand.
– Jack Mattiacci
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