America 250: David Muir showcases national parks and Native tribes that call them home

As America marks its 250th anniversary this Fourth of July, "World News Tonight" anchor and managing editor David Muir journeyed to Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona and Redwood National and State Parks in Northern California.

ABC is marking America's 250th anniversary with 24 hours of programming called "Disney Celebrates America" across ABC, Disney+, Hulu, ESPN, National Geographic, FX, Freeform, and ABC News Live.

The multi-platform broadcast, led by "World News Tonight" anchor David Muir, will feature coverage across all 50 states, beginning 10 p.m. ET on July 3 and running through July 4.

With rock formations that date back nearly 2 billion years, the Grand Canyon helps tell the story of the Earth itself. That story is preserved by the indigenous populations who have called the vast landscape home for at least 12,000 years.

Ed Keable, the superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park, told Muir that part of the beauty of the canyon is the people who were here first, saying the park "intentionally" works to make sure tourists learn about the land's original caretakers.

Among those caretakers is the Havasupai Tribe. Havasupai, which means "People of the Blue-Green Water," is a sovereign Native American nation located at the foot of the canyon. For decades, they have fought to help keep the canyon pristine and waters clean.

There are 11 federally recognized tribes associated with the Grand Canyon, with ancestral ties dating back thousands of years. They view the land, which sees millions of tourists annually, as sacred.

Keable said that indigenous people, both in National Park Service uniforms and outside, interact with visitors, sharing their history with the park.

"It's their story to tell," Keable told Muir.

Carletta Tilousi, a member of the tribe, told Muir, "We want America to know that we're still here and we're still gonna fight for the protection of the Grand Canyon."

She noted that the tribe has lived deep within the canyon for at least 800 years.

"It’s a part of my history, and it’s also part of my ancestors, and it runs through my blood," she said.

Farther out west in coastal Northern California are "nature's skyscrapers," the towering redwood trees, growing up to 380 feet tall -- some of them are more than 2,000 years old.

The tallest trees in the world, redwoods have grown in the region for at least 20 million years.

Muir walked through the breathtaking forest of towering trees with Ben Blom, the director of stewardship at Save the Redwoods League, remarking on how the trees are so much older than the U.S. as a nation.

"Time is relative. This is a young tree, but it's still older than the United States of America," Blom said.

"This tree was already big when we signed the Declaration of Independence, and it was cared for for thousands of years by indigenous people even before that -- and it'll live for hundreds more years," he added.

Redwood National and State Parks is the ancestral land of the Yurok Tribe, the most populous tribe in California, which is actively involved in park co-management and land restoration.

In 2024, the Yurok Tribe was returned 125 acres of its original land in a landmark agreement signed by the tribe, Save the Redwoods League, the National Park Service and California State Parks.

Muir spoke with Joseph James, the chairman of the Yurok Tribe, who said we should embrace growth on America's 250th anniversary.

"We can't change history, but we can learn from it and grow from it. Every person grows, no matter how old you are. And it's a growing moment, not just for the tribe, not just for the environment, not for this project. It's for everybody," he said.