We must do better

Words matter. They have the power to divide or connect, to hurt or to heal.

The land trust community is becoming increasingly aware that the longest-serving stewards of the land are critical partners in conservation. To that end, Rally this year featured Indigenous plenary speakers and a number of workshops devoted to land trust partnerships, with and learning from, Indigenous conservation practitioners and experts. This year the Alliance also supported an inaugural Indigenous Land Conservation Summit, an 80-person affinity event that was created by and for Indigenous land conservation leaders.

During one of the Rally workshops, a presenter made a harmful, racist comment about Indigenous people, one that disparaged Indigenous peoples’ expertise, knowledge and history as stewards of land, and disrespected their relationships with the land. In the moments, days and weeks that followed, as I and others engaged in dialogue with Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) colleagues, it became painfully clear to me that this was more than an isolated incident — it was symptomatic of larger harms inflicted regularly upon the BIPOC members of our land conservation community. A number of participants told me, and other Alliance staff, that they experienced racism and bias in the form of micro- and macroaggressions at Rally, making them feel unsafe and unwelcome. Sharing these experiences, feelings and insights is not easy. I’m grateful to each person who did so, and I’m moved by the honesty, frankness and vulnerability that people have shown.

I, and everyone at the Alliance, offer our heartfelt apologies for this harm. And I want to state as plainly and emphatically as I can: The Alliance does not tolerate racism in any form.

This incident was especially disheartening to me and my colleagues at the Alliance because we had invited more than 80 Indigenous people to Portland to participate in the Indigenous Summit, and many stayed on to join us for the Rally program.  

Today’s practice of land conservation has taken shape in the context of the United States’ history that removed Indigenous peoples from their ancestral homelands, undermined their self-governance and tribal sovereignty and attempted to eliminate their longstanding cultural practices and relationships with land established over millennia. It is a testament to the strength and resilience of Indigenous communities and leaders today, and the ancestors before them, that their wisdom, knowledge and stewardship of land has persisted. I have heard from Indigenous people about how every incident—from offhand comments to direct acts of violence — is a painful reminder and manifestation of all they have endured. As a non-Indigenous person, I will never be able to fully understand. Instead, what I can do is listen and take steps — informed by Indigenous voices — toward repair and restoration, while also doing my own work to build awareness and understanding.

Words matter, but our actions are even more critical. Dr. Terry Cross, an enrolled member of the Seneca Nation and founder and senior advisor of the National Indian Child Welfare Association, captured this in his plenary speech at Rally: “It’s not enough to just apologize. Because it’s through the action, through the restoration, that we find a new path forward. Because we need to be in relationship.”

So, what are we doing?

Immediately after Rally, I reached out to the Indigenous attendees to offer a personal apology, seek their feedback and suggestions, and begin a process of healing, reconciliation and change. My colleagues at the Alliance also engaged in dialogue with other BIPOC individuals, concerned land trusts and organizations led by and serving BIPOC communities. Many people were generous with their time in responding with phone calls and emails, sharing what it means to be an Indigenous person or a person of color moving through white-dominated spaces in conservation. I am so grateful for the gift of knowledge and insight that came through these messages. I’m particularly grateful to Dr. Cross for working with us on our journey, and for the compassion, wisdom and honesty he has brought to our discussions.

This work is a process and long-term commitment, and there are many more steps we are taking. We are:

• Engaging in conversation with the people directly harmed by the incident at Rally.

• Compiling feedback and suggestions from Indigenous Rally attendees, other BIPOC attendees, and others, to inform our action planning for future Alliance events.

• Reflecting this feedback back to the individuals and partners we have been in conversation with for accuracy and to help us prioritize actions that are both responsive and proactive.

• Convening a facilitated reconciliation process with Indigenous people who experienced harm at Rally.

• Conducting cultural competency trainings for Alliance leadership and planning more; to date, these have been led by Dr. Cross.

• Keeping our staff and board engaged and apprised along the way and providing training and resources to support them in their roles at Alliance events.

• Committing to keeping all of you, as land conservation practitioners, informed as well as providing resources and training to help you become better partners and allies in your communities.

• Establishing stronger safety and inclusion protocols, including rapid response measures to address harmful incidents if and when they occur, that will ensure all Alliance events or programs will be more welcoming and safer, especially for BIPOC attendees.

We will share more specific actions in a post here in early 2024 as we roll up our sleeves, plan improvements to Rally and other Alliance events and continue the work to repair, heal, learn and grow in these efforts.

The Land Trust Alliance is committed to being transparent and honest about our journey to become a more welcoming, inclusive and equitable organization journey, to increase safety and inclusion at our trainings and events, and grow our cultural competency and allyship. How the land conservation community engages and partners with Indigenous leaders and communities must be informed by their unique history and context; our work with other people who have been marginalized by conservation must be equally well-informed and nuanced — in short, by listening and learning first. We know mistakes are inevitable as we learn and grow. We ask for the support and active engagement of members of our community who are willing to join in this work with us.

Land conservation is at its best and most enduring when it engages, includes and benefits all people. Everyone deserves to feel safe and that they belong—on the land, in the conservation sector and at Alliance events. 

Andrew J. Bowman is president and CEO of the Land Trust Alliance.