A Statement of Support

The Great Burn Conservation Alliance has watched with heartbreak and horror as the realities of systemic racism expose the violence, pain and anguish that so many communities of black, indigenous and people of color face in their everyday lives. Over the past two weeks, we have listened intently, respectfully and humbly as these communities have made it abundantly clear to all of us how widespread racism and inequality are within our society. They also have reminded us of the long history of racism and inequity within the conservation movement that has traditionally protected public lands for the enjoyment of people who are predominately wealthy, privileged and white.

We recognize that the Great Burn, named and delineated by white people, is part of the ancestral lands of the Salish and Nez Perce people who lived, hunted and fished them for millennia until they were coerced or forcibly removed onto reservations. We recognize that though these lands are public and everyone can hike their trails, horse pack to their lakes, and fish their creeks, they are not equally accessible to black, indigenous and people of color communities due to the systemic inequities in our economic, political and social systems.

Right now, we feel compelled to make a statement of support for the black, indigenous and people of color communities. We envision a time that the gems of our public lands like the Great Burn are welcoming and can be visited without fear of judgment, harassment or violence.  This cannot be achieved unless we listen and learn about how black, indigenous and people of color communities have been excluded from the Great Burn and do our part to make it a special, safe and renewing place of wildness and solitude for all.

Sincerely,

The GBCA Board of Directors