Ethical standards and conversation surrounding how to recreate outdoors have been dominated by non-Indigenous individuals and for-profit companies. Our hope is to help you recreate through an Indigenous lens, so we can start creating a community led movement for more responsible and ethical access to spaces.
All across The World there is an Indigenous presence that is integral to every space. Natural formations are looked at as family members and hold a strong cultural significance. Sacred Sites and Indigenous spaces still hold a massive amount of cultural and spiritual importance to multiple Indigenous communities. Even though every site may not yet be recognized by local and federal government, they are still held with the highest respect and significance to the Indigenous people. There are many reasons a site may not be recognized or federally protected. Some of them are due to lack of funding or if there is no potential for development, they will not do a cultural resource survey. As you navigate through spaces with presently imposed geopolitical boundaries, do your part to honor and respect these places with significant and irreplaceable cultural history.
The pledge was created to be applied in a broad sense.
30 Indigenous athletes from around the world weighed in on the pledge.
By signing this pledge you understand it is unethical to share geographic locations and recreate without a conservation plan in place. When you are in the backcountry, you are agreeing to prioritize the natural and cultural resources and understand that some areas will always have different needs than others.
INDIGENOUS FIELD GUIDE PLEDGE
I pledge to take the time to understand that land is family to Indigenous communities. By doing so, I will treat the space with respect.
I will comply with access regulations when recreating in outdoor spaces.
I understand that some places are sacred to the Indigenous community and do not have the protections in place to handle a large amount of visitors. I will reach out to Indigenous leaders and conservation professionals before publically sharing specific geographic coordinates.
I will honor closures for Indigenous purposes and/or native species.
I will preserve and protect Indigenous homes and will engage with the people, places, and wildlife in a kind and respectful way.
I will enjoy cultural sites from afar. I will not recreate
in/on cultural sites/structures/formations because they are extremely fragile and still used in traditional ceremonial practices today.
I will give fish and other wildlife space. I understand feeding any wildlife can damage their health and disrupt their behavior.
I will give space to the local fishermen/hunters so I do not scare anything away. I understand Indigenous communities feed their families this way.
I will support Indigenous owned businesses and will only patron legal licensed visitor accomodations.
I will not touch or damage rock art. These images hold a paramount of significance to the Indigenous people of the land.
When possible, I will stay on marked trails and roads and I will not make my own trails.
I will clean and decontaminate all of my footwear and gear to prevent disease spread and stop other invasive species from spreading.
I will not take or remove cultural objects as souvenirs. I will leave the items in their place of rest and understand that they are now a part of the landscape.
I will always leave places the way I found them, pack my trash, and will even pick up the trash of others I may pass along the way.
I will not stack rocks or take apart rock walls as it is offensive to the Indigenous peoples.
I promise that exploration and first ascents are never more important than cultural resources.
