Resources

“Why I use the pronouns ‘ki’ and ‘kin'”

This article discusses how using ‘ki’ and ‘kin’ pronouns when referring to the environment, rather than “it”, breaks down a human-centric world view and can prevent environmental exploitation. For more read here

What indigenous communities are teaching scientists about nature

This article discusses how traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) has been historically devalued in favor of Western science. It explores examples of partnerships between indigenous peoples across the world and Western scientists as case studies of how to braid TEK into ecological decisionmaking. For more read here.

Solutions Privilege: How privilege shapes the expectations of solutions, and why it’s bad for our work addressing systemic injustice

This article examines the phenomenon of “solutions privilege,” which Le defines as “the privilege of expecting easy and instant solutions that would align with one’s worldview and not challenge one’s privilege.” For more read here.

Let’s Get Real About Why Women of Color Are So Tired: Playing by the rules in capitalist America comes at the cost of our mental, physical, and emotional health

This honest article by a woman of color examines why women of color experience actual trauma and suffering working in majority-white nonprofits. Specifically, the article addresses the scarcity mentality and a culture of celebrity and competition that underpin the culture of most nonprofits, including in the environmental and conservation sector. For more read here.

WHITE MALE WORKERS RESPOND POORLY TO WOMEN AND RACIAL MINORITIES IN POWER AND TAKE IT OUT ON COLLEAGUES: REPORT

This article begins “How do white male executives handle it when a woman or person of color become CEOs of their company? Not well, a new study from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business suggests.” We like this article because though many conservation, outdoor, and environmental organizations may be succeeding in recruiting, hiring, and promoting women and BIPOC, these employees will still struggle without concerted efforts to address unconscious bias on the part of their peers. Read more here.

TEK: Design by Radical Indigenism

From a book review: “Julia Watson’s lush and meticulous new book, Lo—TEK: Design by Radical Indigenism, provides a blueprint for sustainable architecture in the 21st century. For designers of the built environment, it is a first-ever compendium of overlooked design technologies from indigenous groups around the world. For the intrepid traveler or curious citizen, it is an invitation to know millennia-old societies thriving in symbiosis with nature thanks to local ingenuity, creativity, spirituality, and resourcefulness. For the indigenous groups represented, it is a source of satisfaction from seeing contemporary design scholarship catch up with their time-tested practices.” Read the book review here.

Queer in tech: free stock photos from Mapbox

Mapbox created this photo set to promote the visibility of queer and gender-nonconforming (GNC) people in technology, who are often under-represented as workers powering the creative, technical, and business leadership of groundbreaking tech companies and products. Click here to access the article and here to access the database.

Colonialism, The Hidden Cause Of Our Environmental Crisis

The article takes up one of the arguments of de-colonial environmentalism: that the climate crisis is linked to the history of slavery and colonialism by the Western powers. It’s a great way to connect the dots between colonialism and white supremacy, no the one hand, and the history and current efforts of environmental and conservation groups, on the other hand. Read it here.

The damaging psychological impact of constantly having to explain racism

This article provides a great explanation of the toll imposed on black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) who bear the burden of engaging in the emotional labor of educating their white counterparts about racism and its impacts on them. It’s a great piece for BIPOC and white folks alike. Read it here.

This Land – Faith E. Briggs x Merrell

Runner and advocate Faith E. Briggs used to run through the streets of Brooklyn every morning. Now, she’s running 150 miles through three U.S. National Monuments that lay in the thick of the controversy around public lands. Accompanied by running companions who represent diverse perspectives in what it means to be a public land owner, she assesses what is at stake if previously protected lands are reduced and if the public is largely unaware. THIS LAND is a story about land access told through a journey of inclusion and empowerment. Watch here.

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