Environmental activism is undergoing much-needed change. It’s time to face stark truths.
For too long, many of us who advocate for ecosystems have done so without also standing with the people who belong to those special places and the communities most impacted by their destruction.
The Wilderness Committee acknowledges our role in this. We invite you to join us as we challenge ourselves to be at the forefront of the needed shift to an environmental movement based in justice for all.
Environmental justice means fighting for Indigenous rights. Environmental racism happens when polluting industrial activities are done closer to Indigenous and other marginalized communities. It happens when the process of creating desperately needed protected areas perpetuates the colonialism this country is built on by neglecting the rights of the peoples on the lands and waters parks are created on.
Understanding this is key. Indigenous peoples are significantly more impacted by clear-cut logging, species extinction and climate change, and environmental activism must acknowledge and tackle these injustices.
Will you be part of this challenge? Together, we can forge a movement that fights for people and the planet.
Please read our latest paper, No Conservation Without Justice, which calls attention to some of our movement’s shortcomings and highlights some of the Indigenous-led initiatives we’re working to support. Our goal is to use the Wilderness Committee’s unique grassroots structure to build the relationships and learn the lessons necessary to do the environmental justice work this moment demands.
Please, join us in this. Raise these issues with your family, friends and colleagues. Contact us for copies of this paper to distribute in your community.
By building an environmental movement that works for everybody, we can ensure a better future for this planet and all who depend on it.
