DeadArtist

Finally, LNT is intertwined with systemic injustice by influencing self-righteous behavior and the policing of outdoor spaces. Outdoor recreation is already excluding minority identities. Expensive park passes and gear, limited access to outdoor education and a lack of diversity in recreational industries can gate-keep people from enjoying the wilderness. The LNT principle adds an air of entitlement to this mix; since the LNT principles were created in a western context, they may prove ignorant to various cultural practices.

“I [have] heard plenty of examples of so-called “LNT policing”: A Latino family told to stop talking at a campground. A family of Luiseño Indians shamed by passersby for their annual, traditional harvest of poppies during the California super bloom.” Corey Buhay, The Challenges of Inclusivity: Opening the Gates.

No one truly owns the land. LNT perpetuates a bias that certain people “own” the outdoors and they must enforce these rules. This enforcement may be onto other cultures with different land ethics. Native cultures have been sustainably using land for far longer, yet the white recreationists still feel entitled to control stolen land and dictate its culture. In most cases, Indigenous groups have to pay fees for non-traditional, recreational activities, even though many national parks are on historic tribal land. Due to inequality and limited resources, outdoor recreation is difficult to access for people identifying with minority groups. When the LNT ethic is policed onto these groups, it further polarizes who can access these areas. Maybe we should stop and listen to the land ethics that were here first.

“People of color are three times more likely than white people to live in places that have no immediate access to nature.” Emma Gosalvez, Nature Gap: Why Outdoor Spaces Lack Diversity and Inclusion.