Rediscovering our roots: Steps to increase accessibility to and acceptance of people of color in America’s national parks

Henry, Cait M.; Salcido, Evan; Kiewra, Lydia; Kane, Brendan

doi:10.5070/p536349861

Cited by 2 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…The upshot is that, if the stories shared by park interpreters are not representative of the individuals who culturally or racially-identify with the site, those groups may feel unwelcome or unheard (Henry et al, 2020). As Hurt (2010) suggests, narratives shared through interpretation help individuals see themselves in the history of sites to help foster an understanding of who they are and where they came from.…”

Section: Interpretation Of Diverse Storiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Summer in the Parks: A History of Community-Centered Programming at National Parks

Kane,

Zajchowski,

Fefer

2023

Journal of Interpretation Research

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Washington, D.C. witnessed many watershed events throughout the history of the United States of America. One of these events, Summer in the Parks, was organized by the National Park Service to engage youth and racial minorities from 1968 to 1976. Our research sought to understand 1) the history of the initiative, 2) if and how this event is interpreted today, and 3) Park Service professionals’ perspectives of lessons can be learned from the Summer in the Parks regarding engaging underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. In-depth interviews using an interpretive phenomenological analysis with five professionals were conducted and paired with narratives from participants who were attendees of the historic program. Findings demonstrate limited existing interpretation of Summer in the Parks which mainly occurs through community partnerships. Respondents highlighted the importance of continuing the legacy of initiative, whether through programming, interpretation, or some combination of both.

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Section: Interpretation Of Diverse Storiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Summer in the Parks: A History of Community-Centered Programming at National Parks

Kane,

Zajchowski,

Fefer

2023

Journal of Interpretation Research

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“…First, we introduce the concept of wilderness as an inclusive space for humans and a spectrum of natural relationships. Historically, wilderness was viewed as a “white space,” reserved only for white people, regardless of socioeconomic status, to engage with, subjugate, and control (Henry et al, 2020; Powell, 2021; Theriault & Mowatt, 2020). This view was perpetuated by the historical heroes of the conservation movement in the United States (e.g., John Muir, President Theodore Roosevelt, Aldo Leopold) and spawned the culture of the natural resource agencies and organizations that grew from their legacies.…”

Section: Counterthemes To Support Inclusive Conservationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because storytelling is a dominant mode of knowledge transfer among BIPOC communities (Flores & Kuhn, 2018), inclusive narratives can become an effective method for recruiting and retaining BIPOC individuals to participate in environmental conservation. It is imperative that conservation agencies and organizations highlight BIPOC narratives to display other forms of environmental knowledge that are more receptive to BIPOC communities and form solidarity with BIPOC individuals who may feel apprehensive or uncomfortable in outdoor environments (Cronin et al, 2021; Henry et al, 2020).…”

Section: Counterthemes To Support Inclusive Conservationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Earlier research showed that BIPOC individuals reported less exposure to nature in comparison to their white counterparts (Chaudhury & Colla, 2021; Duc Bo Massey et al, 2021; O'Brien et al, 2020; Schell et al, 2020), but that does not mean that no BIPOC individuals engage with nature. Many BIPOC individuals and communities do engage with nature in ways that white, Eurocentric communities do not (Henry et al, 2020; Powell, 2021; Theriault & Mowatt, 2020). Engaging with nature from outside the scope of Western science (e.g., from a cultural or religious viewpoint) can shape individuals' connection to a physical place (i.e., sense of place) and influence what knowledge they create in relation to those with whom they share the experience (e.g., family or community member).…”

Section: Counterthemes To Support Inclusive Conservationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Redefining American conservation for equitable and inclusive social‐environmental management

Morales

Lee

Newberry

et al. 2022

Ecological Applications

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Efforts to recruit, retain, and include Blacks, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in environmental fields often fall short, in part due to limited conceptualizations of conservation and environment. At the core of this is the North American Model for Wildlife Conservation, an important approach to conservation and wildlife management that has influenced conservation globally. This model, however, is based upon a specific subset of worldviews, driven by Western and Eurocentric constructions of wilderness and nature. This model creates a narrow view of human–environment relationships and erases cultures and communities that explicitly view themselves as part of nature. We review the seven tenets of the North American Model for Wildlife Conservation, highlighting their limitations and exclusion of other models of environmental and natural resource management and alternative relationships with nature. In order to support long‐term environmental engagement and culturally responsive research, 21st century environmental practitioners should shift our thinking around conservation to center counter narratives of BIPOC communities, scientists, and professionals as part of and meaningfully connected to nature. We argue that relying solely on the historically dominant language and ideologies at the core of the North American Model perpetuates disparities in environmental engagement and limits retention of BIPOC in environmental fields. We further highlight how shifts in understanding conservation and relationships to nature enables us to re‐frame our work to support equitable, inclusive, and just conservation science and practice.

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Rediscovering our roots: Steps to increase accessibility to and acceptance of people of color in America’s national parks

Cited by 2 publications

References 5 publications

Summer in the Parks: A History of Community-Centered Programming at National Parks

Summer in the Parks: A History of Community-Centered Programming at National Parks

Redefining American conservation for equitable and inclusive social‐environmental management

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