Narratives in Nature 2022 ASLA Awards Submission

Narratives in nature A toolkit addressing Black, Indigenous, and Latinx inclusion in parks.

The outdoors doesn’t descriminate. OUR PARKS HAVE AN EQUITY ISSUE. “Why do we need to bring race into it?”

Native American

“The outdoors has been a sanctuary for white violence in American history. And the fact that we still lack access for Black folks in a way to feel comfortable out there speaks volumes to how that has not been addressed enough.”

- J, Black, 26 “Parks are spaces for everyone.”

Asian

Black

Latinx

0.9% 1%

2010 US Demographics

4.8% 3%

2009 National Park Visitation

African American 1.6% Native American 1.0% Asian/Pacific Islander 4.8% Latinx 4.8%

12.6% 7% 16.3% 9% 63.7% 80%

White

White 83% White 83%

National Park Visitor Diversity

“I think for a lot of BIPOC who are aware of the [unrepresented] histories... It’s just like... A feeling of ridicule and contempt only seeing colonial representation of the land.”

Parks

N

Eugene Demographics BIPOC 5%

-A, Native American, 54 “BIPOC people don’t like outdoor recreation.”

Eugene

“My friends don’t have the means to get the gear they need to even begin backpacking, and If you’re seeing only white rich people do this, you’re not going to feel like it’s a possibility for you.“

Springfield

White 95% HBRA/ Mt. Pisgah

-E, Latina, 29 Kalapuya Lands

Research Site: Howard Buford Recreation Area and Mt. Pisgah

HBRA/Mt. Pisgah Visitors (Total count: 919)

TIMELINE: INEQUITY IS BY DESIGN

* Oregon History * National History

“What gets shared is a function of who’s in the room doing the remembering.”

-Betty Reid Soskin, National Park Service Ranger 1930s

1920

1859-1926

Eugene is a sundown town and displaces BIPOC to the flood zones out of town

KKK membership in OR reaches 20k

State of Oregon established with the OR exclusion law making being black in OR a criminal act.

1958

Vanport flood wipes out Portland’s most diverse and low-income neighborhood

1865

1850

13th amendment abolishes slavery & Jim Crow begins

2013

Black Lives Matter Movement begins

Oregon Donation Land act forces removal of Tribes to reservations

1954-1977

termination policy revokes federal tribal recognition

1964

The Civil Rights Act ends America’s Jim Crow era

1805

Time Immemorial - 1805 Native tribes in the Pacific Northwest stewerd their ancestral homelands

Lewis and Clark ‘discover’ Oregon

2003

Hispanics become US’ Largest minority group & ICE is created

2021

Deb Haaland becomes the first Native American US Secretary of the Interior

PROCESS METHODS AND PHASES

Phase 1: Research and Conversation

Phase 2: The Guide and Toolkit

Phase 3: Rivers to Ridges Implementation

Readings

Observations

Interviews

Guide

Equity Maps

Community Inventory

Meetings

Site Surveys

Focus Groups

Toolkit

Outreach Plan

Park Surveys

DECENTER. DECOLONIZE.

THE ETHICAL GUIDE AND FRAMEWORK

I designed a guiding framework for myself that established this project’s ethical codes and strategies.

Education

Before beginning this sensitive work as a researcher and outsider among the Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities, my work began internally to become aware of my identity and role in colonial and racist systems.

“Caminante, no hay puentes, se hace puentes al andar.”

(Voyager, there are no bridges, one builds them as one walks.)

Conversation

Self-Reflect

Allyship Outreach

What are your biases, privileges, and roles within colonialist institutions?

What can you offer marginalized communities to build reciprocal partnerships?

Talk to People

Are you building consensual and mutually beneficial relationships?

Know Your Community

Who is missing from the spaces you value?

?

Make Space

Are you stepping aside and empowering marginalized communities?

:)

-Gloria E. Anzaldúa, Borderlands/ La Frontera

Listen & Learn Are you consuming and supporting content from diverse creators?

Adapt Space

What can you do to make your spaces more inclusive and equitable?

INTERVIEWS IDENTIFIED THE BARRIERS “...We don’t talk about how like these lands were stolen, we don’t talk about the history of violence in these [park] spaces... When it hasn’t been brought up, it creates a lot of weird stereotypes, i.e. black folks don’t like being in the forest.”

-J, Black, 26 “I was tending a mugwort patch for medicine. Two older white women who were jogging stopped me and needed to know if I had a city permit.. I’ve had park rangers try to call the cops on me for gathering from cedar trees. I’ve had people get really, really aggressive.” -J, Indigenous, 21 “I wouldn’t say that there are less BIPOC people that are interested in being Park Rangers. There are blockages and barriers as to why they’re not here.” -R, Latino, 45

“I will never send my kids alone anywhere here. Ever. And I just I need to be in a place where I don’t have to worry that my sons are going to get killed.” - R, Black, 44 “There’s been people that have been deported in our family, So that itself is the feeling of being separated from family whenever- you don’t know when- has been a huge stressor... Police break families apart.” -T, Latino, 26

BARRIER CATEGORIES Exclusion

Colonial Histories Erasure Elitism

A result of a long history of BIPOC exclusion in the outdoors where our landscapes have been dominated by the narratives of the white majority.

Accomodations

There is a lack of programming and dedicated space for BIPOC in the outdoors because parks and open spaces were not designed with minorities in mind. This can make it hard for BIPOC to make a connection with these spaces.

Staff Representation

BIPOC are underrepresented in parks and open space staff, so they are missing vital decision making power over these spaces. Agencies must first create an inclusive and equitable work environment before we can expect to see a change in these demographics.

Limited Programming No BIPOC Spaces Lacking Translations Cultural Exclusion

Poor Diversity Inequity No Allyship Accountability Tokenism

Racism

Violence White Fragility ‘Karens’ Microaggressions

Safety

Inexperience Policing Emergency Support

Racism in the outdoors remains a very real threat for BIPOC. It can be experienced in subtle migroaggressions or it can be as overt as harassment and violence.

Both real and perceived safety are important to address for BIPOC communities that experience the compounding risks of racism and limited resources.

A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING THE BARRIERS TO INCLUSION The Barrier Each barrier has its own entry.

56

BARRIERS - EXCLUSION

ERASURE

‘Experience’ Offers context to understand the barrier at the human-scale using excerpts from participants.

EXPERIENCE Landscapes hold memory and are sites of cultural significance for so many different groups of people. There is a tendency to shy away from sharing the shameful and troubling histories of a place, but the victims of these histories are not as likely to forget.

One Black participant expressed these sentiments and the results of hiding these stories from the public, “...we don’t talk about how like these lands were stolen, we don’t talk about the history of violence in these [park] spaces... When it hasn’t been brought up, it creates a lot of weird stereotypes, i.e. black folks don’t like being in the forest.”

J, 21, CLATSOP CHINOOK, THEY/THEM/THEIRS (2 SPIRIT) “Where they go to hike are just as much a burial ground and a sacred site as the cemetery that their grandmother is buried in. More people need to realize that when they’re out recreating, they need to keep the same reverence that they would visiting their own grandparent, or aunt, or cousin, or sibling’s grave. I’m not saying that they can’t have fun, but also ask ‘How are you treating the land? How are you including the land? How are you extracting from the land in that place?’

Even if you’re gonna to run up a hill- what is your offering to that hill?

‘Summary’ Defines each barrier, explains why it is important to address, and how it can cause harm.

SUMMARY

Was it just you stomping all over its face? Did you go and actually

The act of erasure is the removal of all traces of someone or something in recorded material or discussion, which effectively buries the past and present narratives of marginalized peoples. Erasure creates misinformation and results in poor cultural competency. For example, erasure-language is a problem for Native American communities where Tribes are often referred to in the past tense. To speak of a group as if they no longer exist is to deny them any power over present circumstances. To not acknowledge a piece of the past excludes these histories and paints a false understanding of the present.

greet the land as something that is its own living entity? That is the main difference between people who work in parks today under colonization... I think the biggest disconnect for me is seeing the land as something you have to have domain over, other than seeing the land as something you have to control other than seeing the land as your counterpart that you need to invite to the table.”

Narrative Insightful quotes and stories from participants that pertain to the barrier being discussed.

THE ACTION NETWORK Barriers Actions Exclusion

Colonial Histories Erasure Elitism

Accomodations

Limited Programming No BIPOC Spaces Lacking Translations Cultural Exclusion

Staff Representation

Poor Diversity Inequity No Allyship Accountability Tokenism

Design

• • • • • • • • • •

Interperative & Educational Signs Site Land Acknowledgements Cultural Structures Outdoors Gathering Spaces Art Installations Child-Scale Natural Areas Universal Access Trails Community Design Translated Materials Spec. Cultural Plants & Materials

THE ACTION TOOLKIT This toolkit contains over 30 actions and is designed for park managers and other community organizations to make their natural area parks more welcoming to BIPOC communities. Actions were largely generated by the participants during the virtual focus groups.

TOOL TYPES

Violence White Fragility ‘Karens’ Microaggressions

Safety

Inexperience Policing Emergency Support

Design: Space-based solutions involving structure, amenities, and materials.

DESIGN

Programs • • • • • • • • •

Indigenous Teachers BIPOC Events BIPOC Networking Programs BIPOC Stewardship Complaint Systems Foraging Rites BIPOC Outdoor Education K-12 Nature Immersion Gear Programs

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Accountability Standards Partnership Building Allyship Training and Onboarding BIPOC Mentorship & Career Dev. Codes of Ethics Police Alternatives DEIJ Grant Seeking Dedicated DEIJ Budget Discrimination Reports Diverse Staff Decolonize Placenames Casual Uniforms Decolonize Management Structure Volunteer Stipends Conflict Management Training

Interpretive & Educational Signage

TOOL TYPE

EXCLUSION, ACCOMODATIONS

ACTION- Use educational signage to share site histories and represent existing vulnerable communities which once used the site.

PROGRAM

Programs: Planned land use, activities, and services such as education, recreation, and cultural opportunities. Passive or Active.

APPLY-

Building small exhibits at the entrance of the park which use photos, audio/visual recordings, written and/or spoken stories to share the history of Kalapuyan peoples in Lane County and acknowledge historic and existing power structures.

BIPOC Recreation Networks

PROGRAM

ACCOMODATIONS, RACISM, SAFETY POLICY

Policy Racism

Toolkit Action Examples:

Policy: Protocols that inform organizational managment/codes and site regulations.

ACTION- Facilitate BIPOC relationships through local outdoor meet-ups or a buddy-system program to ensure safety in numbers.

APPLY-

Template: The Action’s Title

TOOL TYPE

Meetups events for BIPOC set in neighborhood parks facilitate friendships centered around being outdoors. Alternatively a buddy-system can be created online that connects people to hiking partners or outdoor mentors.

BIPOC Mentorship & Career Development

POLICY

LIST OF BARRIERS BEING ADDRESSED

STAFF REP., RACISM, SAFETY

ACTION- Broad-form description of the action.

ACTION- Facilitate paid career opportunities dedicated for BIPOC who are interested in parks and land-management work.

APPLY-

APPLY-

Site-specific examples of how you may implement this action.

Build mentorship programs with local BIPOC community groups that are flexible enough meet the needs of those with disadvantages.

TOOLKIT APPLICATIONS Many action items in this toolkit are modular, so they can be combined to be more effective and creative.

By combining the following actions, participants came up with the concept for a public camas festival which shares Indigenous foraging and stewardship practices with the greater community: Tools to build a Camas Festival:

DESIGN

PROGRAM

POLICY

Cultural Structures Outdoor Gathering Spaces Spec Cultural Plants & Materials BIPOC Events Foraging Rites Indigenous Teachers BIPOC Outdoor Education Partnership Building

WHO ARE THE R2R PARTNERS?

Social

Parks & Recreation Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council Friend of Buford Park and Mt. Pisgah Institute for Applied Ecology Long Tom Watershed Council McKenzie River Trust McKenzie Watershed Council Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council Mt. Pisgah Arboretum The Nature Conservancy Willamete River Keeper Willamette Resources and Educational Network Bureau of Land Management: Eugene District City of Eugene: Parks and Open Space Lane County Parks Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Oregon State Parks Army Corps of Engineers: Willamette Valley Willamalane Park and Recreation District * Non Profit | Government Agency

e

e

e e

e e e e e e e

Education & Stewardship e e e e e e e e e e

Environmental

Cultural Resources

e e e

e

e

e e

e e e e e e

Site Management

e e e e e e e

Watershed Health e e e e e e e

Conservation

e e e e

e e e e e e e e e e e e

e

e

e

UPATING A 20-YEAR REGIONAL PARKS VISION PLAN Presenting my equity maps at a R2R Partnership meeting before discussing outreach strategies.

R2R COORDINATION Equity Mapping

I created equity maps locating vulnerable populations in Lane County from demographic and public health data. Key vulnerable neighborhoods were identified as places to target equity and justice initiatives for future parks and open space plans.

Community Inventory

I organized an inventory of local community organizations who have stake in parks & open space including a list of 61 marginalized community groups. R2R partners are now prioritizing these underserved communities first in the vision update outreach.

Outreach Plan

The outreach plan establishes R2R’s outreach strategies for the vision refresh, including: key messages, engagement incentives, and short & long-term diversity/equity/inclusion/justice monitoring-- largely informed by the project’s guide and toolkit.

Park Surveys

I designed a survey asking how parks and open spaces are serving vulnerable communities, and how we may improve their access and enjoyment of our regional parks. The survey is open through summer 2022 and includes Spanish translation.

EQUITY MAPS

Combined Community Vulnerability Map

BIPOC

Key Vulnerable Neighborhoods identified for outreach: Eugene

Springfield

Low-Income

• • • • • • • •

West 11th Trainsong Bethel/Danebo Downtown Whitaker River Road Bethel North University

Springfield Eugene Poor Health HBRA/ Mt. Pisgah

N Parks & Open Spaces

• • • •

North Springfield Central Springfield Gateway Glennwood

STAKEHOLDER DIAGRAM

RK A P

K AGENCIES R PA

Lane County Human Services Commission Neighborhood Organizations Lane County Schools Community Alliance of Lane County ACLU Lane County Sunrise Movement, Eugene Boys and Girls Clubs of Emerald Valley Rural Organizing Project Landscape for Humanity Looking Glass Local Social Media Groups

TI ON S

ZA

NAACP Lane County Huerto De La Familia Centro Latino BIPOC Student Groups Diversify Outdoors Coalition Against Environmental Racism Downtown Languages CORE Street Feed (Food for Lane County) Eugene Mission Lane Independent Living Alliance Hope and Safety Alliance Transponder

FI T S

R U LT U C

I AN

Oregon Department of Transportation Army Core of Engineers Travel Lane County Audubon Society Obsidians Hiking Group Whole Earth Nature School Scouts of America, Oregon Trail Council McKenzie Willamette Medical Center Peace Health Hospital

RG YO

Community Organizations

NPR O

NI T

Vulnerable Group Reps.

O TN

C OM M U

O N M EN

Community groups who can be venues for parks equity outreach.

Parks & Rec Adjacent Orgs.

INTERNAL EPR ESEN TATIVES

Watershed Councils McKenzie River Trust Institute for Applied Ecology The Nature Conservancy Willamete River Keeper Trust for Public Land Nearby Nature WREN

PR

Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw

IZA TIO NS

OU

Lane County Parks Willamalane City of Eugene/ Springfield Friends of Buford Park Mt. Pisgah Arboretum Eugene Recreation Division Oregon State Parks US Forest Service BLM USFWS NPS

N SA

GR

Environment Non-Profits

L B A R NE L U

E

Cultural Partners

DJACENT ORG A C E AN DR

E N VIR

Park Agencies

External Agencies

EXTERNAL

Organizations that engage directly with parks & land management.

PAR TNERS

Internal Agencies

AL

COMMUNITY INVENTORY

V

OUTREACH PLAN ROADMAP

1

1. Identify potential new partners

2 3

4

5 6

7

8 9

2. R2R partners reach out to organization leaders

OUTREACH GOALS 6. Use the R2R-tailored toolkit to develop engagement incentives suited to them

7. Request feedback from their community with the parks survey 3. Share R2R’s missions & goals 8. Build relationships by investing time into their 4. Discuss their organization organizational goals 5. Discover mutual interests

9. Bring communities together for a parks & open space design & vision charette

- Engage community groups representing populations traditionally underserved by the park and open space system, identified by the 2021 equity mapping effort) to get input and vision for future park and open space priorities, to gauge potential interest in becoming an R2R Partnership organization in the future, and develop long-lasting reciprocal relationships.

- Find opportunities to expand the R2R partnership makeup to become more diverse and better represent the interests of all Lane County communities.

- Increase general awareness of the Rivers to Ridges vision, partnership, and accomplishments over the past twenty years.

PROJECT INFLUENCE Photo of me conducting observations and surveys at HBRA/Mt. Pisgah:

“The work Taylor did as part of her thesis was timely and relevant and is an important tool for regional park and open space management and beyond. The product of her work, “Narratives in Nature,” provides an easy-to-understand and applicable toolkit to make natural areas more welcoming and inclusive to traditionally marginalized members of our community such as black, indigenous, and people of color. I’m very excited to use her work to make a difference in our community.”

- Shelly Miller, Supervisor/ Ecological Services and GIS teams, Eugene Parks and Open Space

"Taylor Bowden's research was a turning point in understanding barriers to our park, the second largest regional park in Oregon. In so doing, we've begun a consolidation with a partner organization with barriers and serving the underserved as central to our reason for coming together. The toolkit offers an important start for meaningful engagement, as opposed to uninformed, episodic efforts for box-checking metrics."

- Janelle McCoy, Executive Director, Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah

“WHY IS ACCESSING THE OUTDOORS IMPORTANT TO YOU?” “It’s nice to get away and clear your head. I think it’s really easy to go hiking, and just worry about nature, rather than worrying about my bills, or getting to work on time the next day-- daily worries that you have day-to-day as a human. I think it’s so wonderful that I can go into nature and just think, ‘I don’t have to think about any of those stressors right now, because all I have to worry about my next step.’”

-E, Latina, 29

“Nothing is sacred unless you start having a relationship with it. ...The Western way of managing the land... They don’t they don’t talk to the land, you know? ...When you break the ground for anything I was taught by an elder it’s always important ...that you start with a prayer for the Earth, right there, and ask permission.”

-A, Indigenous, 54 “I do have a very intense spiritual relationship with the outdoors. It brings me peace. It makes me feel more balanced. I’m not very religious at this point in my life, but I derive a lot of spirituality from being outside, and I will meditate outside like my grandpa. If I do make prayers that’s where I make them. It’s just very deep in my heart. Being outdoors just feels very special.”

- S, Latinx , 23

BIPOC wildflower walk I hosted to thank my project participants at HBRA/Mt. Pisgah: