Grand Canyon intern joins Arizona Conservation Corps

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — Intern Nieves Vázquez recently completed her service as an Indigenous interpretive intern at Grand Canyon National Park.

“I feel so privileged and grateful to have spent time living and working at the Grand Canyon,” she said.

Vázquez spent time learning from Grand Canyon’s 11 traditionally associated tribal nations and worked to share their stories and culture with visitors at the park.

“I am grateful for their (the tribes’) hospitality as I worked with the National Park Service on important conversations.”

Some of the projects and highlights that Vázquez worked on include:

• Creating a Native/Indigenous outreach and recruitment strategy plan for Grand Canyon National Park staff and National Park Service youth recruitment;
• Collaborating with Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps’ Diné, Hopi, and Zuni crews during their visit to Grand Canyon National Park to talk about their experiences as young adults and Indigenous people navigating conservation work within federal agencies;
• Educating the public on the Colorado River, water conservation and the “Water is Life” movement through interactive programs;
• Working alongside members of the associated Tribal Nations of Grand Canyon on the various projects at Desert View Watchtower and
• Facilitating community dialogues with division-wide staff on departmental core values.

Vázquez, who is originally from Houston, Texas, recently joined the Arizona Conservation Corps staff team as a recruitment coordinator.

Information provided by Arizona Conservation Corps.