Hiking and ego

[off-topic content deleted MK]

Steve, I did not see that paragraph anywhere in the article I linked to.  Maybe you were website wandering, if not lost?

The article I linked was about the erasure of indigenous cultures, including via trails that run right through their lands, adn the experience of being an indigenous person while hiking those trails.

[off-topic content deleted MK]

Got it–the article was about hiking.  That continuating you cited was from the Guardian, in an attempt to get you to pay for their work. Not written by the author.  It’s a bit like posting a PBS plea for funding after you see the show on TV—not part of the show.

Yep…I didn’t catch that on my first read through.  I like the Guardian…but I don’t really want to pay for it…at least not yet.  🫤

Very interesting and thought-provoking article. I wonder about the conservation organizations I contribute to and will look into how they interact with tribes regarding land decisions.

Recently I was in Sitka, Alaska and visited the NPS museum. There was a modern “totem pole” in 2D, done by a modern Tlingit artist. At the top of one of the panels representing “destruction” was a dollar sign. I thought of all the destructive forces unleashed by settlers and the economic system is probably the worst, worse than disease, warfare, liquor and religion. Everything and anything can be had for money; greed poisons all cultures, all relationships. I posted the photo that I took of the artwork here and I apologize for the lack of attribution. It is however freely available online and royalty free, so I think it’s ok to share. If it’s not, I’ll take it down.

And yes, the hiking/backpacking community has a lot more to do in order to show respect for others and for nature. We think we are the utmost creature, the pinnacle of creation, important enough to ruin a tree or deface a beautiful mountain, or harass wildlife for amusement, instead of recognizing our proper role in it. I’m always amazed by posts on Insta or YT and how self-centered folks are. They know zero about the environment they are in, and just want to “achieve” their goal.

That’s a philosophical battle too hard to fight up front. But we can at least do more to educate folks before they go out on trail about the simple LNT that is supposedly accepted by our community. Make em take a test!

Thanks, AK.  Yes, I thought the article had some really interesting perspectives–and I also appreciated the fact that he didn’t have any simple answers, only suggestions on how we might think about things differently going forward.

And yes, LNT seems a bit simplistic. Maybe that’s what is needed for the masses or newbies, but those of us who claim at least a bit more experience (and more experiences) can probably do a better job of thinking beyond just LNT.

We romanticize about times past. The trash they left behind we call artifacts. The graffiti we call petroglyphs. If we clean it up, it’s called vandalism. Animals were hunted to extinction. We forget that the indigenous people were also individuals. Some good. A few bad. We need to remember that we are all people of the earth. Terrans😁. LNT is our survival tactic as it was for many in the past. The difference is most of us no longer have direct dependence on the land. We reconnect when we walk out into nature. It’s in all of us to seek out.

It was a far-reaching stretch of how to be offended. I read the article and wanted my 5 minutes of time refunded. Lol.