Nature is already diverse — now these BIPOC adventurers are making it more inclusive
From historic paintings to outdoor brand campaigns, it’s easy to get the impression the great outdoors are mostly great for white men. Meet the Black, Indigenous and racialized women and non-binary trailblazers challenging ideals of who belongs
Alia Youssef’s stunning photo essay captures stories and portraits of 10 racialized female and non-binary trailblazers who are transforming the sense of who belongs in the natural world — and opening up about why that matters.
“Nature is already diverse — what has been lacking in the past years has been the diverse voices and lived experiences and the space to share those in relation to the outdoors,” said Judith Kasiama, one of the 10 adventurers featured in Alia’s piece. “Diversity was already present and it was inclusion that was missing.”
The story also delves into the erasure of Indigenous people’s perspectives and links to nature. “It’s not that we weren’t there,” said snowboarder and backcountry enthusiast Sandy Ward. “It was that we were underrepresented.”
On Instagram, Alia reflected on what it was like putting the piece together: “I had the privilege of spending the past few months adventuring with the 10 incredible humans who are featured in this photo essay. They complicate representations of who belongs in the outdoors and invite their communities to do the same by sharing tools and access. We climbed, we kayaked, we hiked, we (me) tried to balance on rocks in the ocean with two cameras and not fall in and ran after mountain bikes … and it was such a fun experience. Thank you to everyone involved for inviting me along on these awesome activities, for being such incredible leaders, and for changing how so many see and interact with outdoor activities/the natural world in general.”
We hope this story moves the needle on inclusion in the outdoors.
You can go here to immerse yourself in Alia’s work.
And stay tuned for more pieces from our other two fellows, Ramona Leitao and Robby Dick, who are rounding out our fellowship program, created in partnership with the talented folks at Room Up Front.
Take care and disrupt the script,
Arik Ligeti Audience engagement editor
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Photo: Garth Lenz / The Narwhal
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