A federal judge in Massachusetts has ordered the Trump administration to restore all signs that were changed or removed at national parks across the country. The signs were altered as part of President Donald Trump’s directive last year to promote American dignity.

Background

The directive, titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” was aimed at removing content that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.” At least 45 signs were altered, covering topics such as climate change and Native American history.

One example cited in the lawsuit was a marker at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming that pointed out 19th-century explorer Gustavus Cheyney Doane’s role in the massacre of at least 173 members of the Piegan Blackfeet. The marker was removed.

Alan Spears, the senior director for cultural resources at the National Parks Conservation Association, celebrated the ruling, saying it puts a stop to the “sanitization, censorship, and softening of history” in national parks.

Implications

The ruling allows national park visitors to “go back to business as usual, which is getting the full scope of American history from our national parks and the interpretation that our parks provide.” National parks are considered “one of the largest stewards of American history and culture in the country.”

Judge Angel Kelley stressed the educational role of national parks, describing them as “a cornerstone of public learning.” She added that the government has a responsibility to present history in full, rather than in favored fragments.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.