Twice this week I was reminded that we are terrible at talking about wilderness. First, the The Atlantic launched a new series titled “Who Owns America's Wilderness?” While its centerpiece is a masterful reported essay by David Treuer arguing U.S. National Parks should be returned to Tribal ownership (read it!), my attention was grabbed by Emma Marris’ meditation
Part of the problem is that Americans can't seem to detangle wilderness from nature. Not all nature is wilderness. And, 40 years of Big Dude Adventure advertising hasn't helped -- god spare me as the guys in the matching fishing shirts descend on us for another summer of Hemingway/Maclean cosplay here on the Yellowstone.
Hey Ethan - great post. I sincerely appreciate and wholeheartedly agree with your perspective. It's beyond frustrating that we are stuck debating whether or not there is such a thing as wild nature. I also loved Treuer's article. It's nothing new for a faction of the Left to be throwing "the wild" under the bus (which the Right is happy to pile onto), but it has reached a new fever pitch in this era of social reckoning. Treuer struck a great balance. J Drew Lanham has done a similarly good job in many of his essays. Rich Holschuh of the Atowi Project in Vermont is taking a similar approach in his talks. My friend Germaine White of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes has long shared the value of wild places with the broader public. And there are so many others. But some writers and academics seem unable to get past the notion that it is a continuum, as you put it. And we keep seeing people misinterpret the word "untrammeled," which will probably be the topic of one of your future blog posts, I'm guessing (or hoping!). Thanks for your great writing.
Part of the problem is that Americans can't seem to detangle wilderness from nature. Not all nature is wilderness. And, 40 years of Big Dude Adventure advertising hasn't helped -- god spare me as the guys in the matching fishing shirts descend on us for another summer of Hemingway/Maclean cosplay here on the Yellowstone.
Hey Ethan - great post. I sincerely appreciate and wholeheartedly agree with your perspective. It's beyond frustrating that we are stuck debating whether or not there is such a thing as wild nature. I also loved Treuer's article. It's nothing new for a faction of the Left to be throwing "the wild" under the bus (which the Right is happy to pile onto), but it has reached a new fever pitch in this era of social reckoning. Treuer struck a great balance. J Drew Lanham has done a similarly good job in many of his essays. Rich Holschuh of the Atowi Project in Vermont is taking a similar approach in his talks. My friend Germaine White of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes has long shared the value of wild places with the broader public. And there are so many others. But some writers and academics seem unable to get past the notion that it is a continuum, as you put it. And we keep seeing people misinterpret the word "untrammeled," which will probably be the topic of one of your future blog posts, I'm guessing (or hoping!). Thanks for your great writing.