There were few immigrants who have shaped the American landscape as profoundly as the writer and conservationist John Muir. He was a unique spirit, whose tireless advocacy for this country’s wild spaces have kept them wild for generations. He championed a specific view of nature, one that could purify the ills of modern life:
“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings, Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”
While presidents and wealthy benefactors are often credited with saving America’s open spaces, the influence of this one man — a Scottish immigrant who came to the U.S. in 1849, at the age of 11 — can hardly be oversold. Here’s Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard on Muir.
“If you think about all the gains our society has made, from independence to now, it wasn’t government. It was activism. People think, ‘Oh, Teddy Roosevelt established Yosemite National Park, what a great president.’ BS,” Chouinard told the magazine for the Sierra Club, which Muir founded. “It was John Muir who invited Roosevelt out and then convinced him to ditch his security and go camping. It was Muir, an activist, a single person.”
But while the National Park System quickly became an American treasure, it came at terrible cost to the many people who originally called those spaces home. Most indigenous people in the park areas were forced off their lands through deceitful land seizures, while others, like the Yosemite Indians, were allowed to stay for a time, ultimately becoming a tourist attraction.
So…it’s complicated.
The National Park Service turns 100 this year, and it’s making diversity — both in its employees and visitors — a priority. And it’s got some work to do. Though the NPS doesn’t track the ethnic makeup of visitors, studies show that about 75% are white according to the travel insights firm Skift; for their part, 83% of NPS employees are white.
And while the NPS has got the Muir reverence of nature nailed, it’s only recently that it’s made the necessary push to preserve other aspects of park history. “With the recent additions of Stonewall National Monument and Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument, I am inspired by the clear commitment to ensure that the National Park System represents a more complete version of American history,” says Will Shafroth, president of the National Park foundation.
In the last few years, the NPS has also made an effort to reach out to people of color, hoping to make the parks a bigger part of their lives. One example: Fellowship programs, offered to diverse groups of nature newcomers with social media heft, offer peak experiences in exchange for some love on their social feeds.
“We never went to national parks when I was a kid in Venezuela,” says Ana Serafin-Smith, a communications specialist and travel blogger. “And we have Angel Falls! It was always filled with tourists — but we never went.” Instead, the cultural norm was to vacation with family, either at their farm or at the beach.
But today Serafin’s an immigrant with a different view of national parks — and her own form of influence. (Her Instagram is @travelinglatina.) When she was tapped for a guided trip to Olympia National Park in 2013, the experience was a revelation. “It was overwhelmingly beautiful,” she says, sounding like Muir. “And I felt so connected with my friends, in these remote and peaceful locations.”
Serafin has noticed a dramatic uptick in interest in the outdoors among Latinx millennials who want to forge a different path than their parents, and who are enjoying an audience for their adventures on Instagram and Snapchat.
But African Americans, who are half as likely to visit national parks as their white counterparts, tend to be more worried about racism than cultural habit.
Still, with time and effort, Shafroth believes that everyone will begin to think of the parks as both a destination and career choice.
“It will take a collective effort to protect America’s treasured places, connect all people to them, and inspire our next generation to make parks a part of their lives,” says Shafroth. The goal is to have everyone “add their own chapters to this important American narrative.”
And John Muir’s advice still stands. “Walk away quietly in any direction and taste the freedom of the mountaineer,” he said.
Making freedom inclusive has been the defining struggle of this country. For all of you who have been fighting the good fight, go outside if you can. You’ve earned it.
Have a restful holiday weekend! Looking forward to reconnecting on Tuesday. Special thanks to Dan Primack and Ian Mount, who guest-edited this week.
On Point
| Well actually, Mexicans are self-deporting |
| The true facts around Mexican immigration are more complicated than one might expect, given the banter on the news. As it turns out, more migrants have been leaving the U.S. for Mexico than the other way around, and finding new opportunities for work and a happy life. And their mastery of English, combined with American work histories, are giving them a leg up in the reviving Mexican economy. A fascinating read. |
| Globe and Mail |
| A unique work-study program has made this college president a star |
| This is a terrific profile of Michael Sorrell, and his truly remarkable turnaround of the once nearly defunct Paul Quinn College, an historically black college in Dallas. Since he became the college’s president in 2007, Sorrell has become a darling on the ideas circuit, specifically for one policy: He’s instituted a unique program that matches students with professional jobs and gives them experience while helping to defray education costs. It’s working, and working well. But can the idea scale? |
| Washington Monthly |
| The Dakota Access Pipeline protest has become a working community |
| Representatives from at least 70 different tribal bodies have joined the encampment of Native Americans supporting the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Although news coming from the protests has been sparse, there’s no indication that the flow of supporters will slow. While the battle rages in court, protestors are sharing an extraordinary array of cultural markers and ceremonies, in an inter-tribal display of solidarity that includes communal meals, daily prayers and a makeshift school for kids. |
| Bismarck Tribune |
| The White House announces 'South by South Lawn' |
| Riffing off the famous annual South by Southwest (SXSW) innovation, music and film festival in Austin, the White House is throwing their own version this October, which will follow roughly the same format. The twist: SXSL will focus on people who are using digital platforms, film or music to make life better for Americans and for people around the world. Nominate yourselves, raceAheaders. You deserve it. |
| White House |
The Woke Leader
| And now, your moment of John Muir inspired zen |
| It’s just north of four minutes, but this lovely short film uses John Muir’s own words to remind us that there is life beyond the office. “I’m degenerating into a machine for making money,” begins the voiceover. “I’m learning nothing in this trivial world of men. I must break away, get out into the mountains to learn the news.” The rest is a celebration of natural wonders and a well-lived life. Headphones on. |
| Vimeo |
| A decade in immigration purgatory |
| We think we know quite a bit about the perils of illegal immigration to the U.S, but the legal version can be just as harrowing in its own way. Here, 35-year-old illustrator and author Juana Medina shares her heart-breaking graphic essay describing her experience attempting to become an American citizen after moving legally from Colombia — which she describes as war-torn and homophobic — in 2002. |
| Fusion |
| When a trans parent is your brother |
| Writer Jessi Hempel is best known for her stellar work writing about technology. But in this highly personal account, she shares the story of her brother Evan, who was born female and revealed himself to be male at age 16. This spring, he gave birth. It is an utterly humbling tale of familial love and workplace awkwardness in a new world where ideas about gender are changing. And lo, a brilliant human resources professional plays a short, but starring role in smoothing the way. I wanted to hug her and you will too. |
| Time |
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| —Agnes Baker Pilgrim |
