While the struggle over the preservation of Bears Ears National Monument and other wild places continues, a coalition of American Indian recreation enthusiasts has a unique message about how to
protect public lands. The panel, “Indigenous Connections: Re-envisioning Recreation and Public Lands Preservation to Incorporate First Nation Values and Traditions,” seeks to inspire the outdoor industry to see things from a Native American perspective. Goals of the panel include exploring how the outdoor industry can effectively partner with indigenous people for the purposes of public lands conservation, and building a more racially and culturally diverse population of outdoor recreation participants.
Join in a discussion with Native American recreation leaders on how the outdoor industry can more effectively partner with indigenous peoples. The discussion will be moderated by Annette McGivney, Backpacker Southwest Editor and the author of the new book Pure Land. Panelists include:
- Len Necefer, PhD: A Navajo Nation member and founder of the Denver-based gear company Natives Outdoors
- Jaylyn Gough: A Navajo Nation member, avid outdoors woman and founder of the group Native Women's Wilderness. She is based in Boulder.
- Aaron Mike: A member of the Navajo Nation who is based in Flagstaff, AZ, founder of Pangea Mountain Guides and an Access Fund Board member.
- Jolie Varela: Member of the Paiute and Tule River Yokut tribes and founder of Indigenous Women Hike. Jolie will be hiking the John Muir Trail in 2018 as a way to point out that it is actually an ancestral trade route of the Paiute. She is based in Bishop, CA.
This session is located on the Upper Exhibition Level at The Camp in Booth 56116-UL.