THE BRIEF

1. Reclaiming the Nümüü Poyo: Indigenous Women Hike Journeys to Decolonize Ancestral Homelands

2. How the Unintentional Racism of the Outdoor Industry is Getting in the Way of Creating Authentic Community

3. Native Women Activists Are Turning Out the Vote in North Dakota

4. UN report: San Francisco's 'cruel and inhuman' homelessness crisis is a human rights violation

Indigenous communities have been stewards of the land since time immemorial, long before Muir ever set foot on this earth. This article talks about how Muir’s Great-Great-Grandson got “political” again after hearing news about the fact that Mono Lake, as well as 70 state parks, were at risk of losing funding. "Since the elder Muir’s death, his family had refrained from political activism, but this seemed like an opportune time to speak out again. Consulting his family, he asked the best way to approach the situation, and their answer was unanimous, 'do as Muir did.'"

Our interpretation of “Do as Muir did" means take up a fight when it impacts you directly, but don't worry about getting "political" any other time, since you're a White male and could care less about issues like Indigenous rights, women's rights, or any of the structural injustices that are happening literally every second...ok cool. Do as Muir did. Sure.

This kind of writing needs to stop. This is completely erasing the Indigenous resistance that has led to the preservation of these lands. We all need to respect the original inhabitants of Turtle Island and always remember to honor that fact that Indigenous communities have been here, and are still here. The environmentalist movement is White supremacy if we are not accounting for ongoing colonization, and how structural oppression works when it comes to access, land management, and recreation.