Recognizing Indigenous Leaders in the Outdoor Industry
In honor of Indigenous People’s Day, SNEWS recognized five outstanding indigenous leaders in the outdoor industry, including NOLS Instructor and Senior Marketing Representative Erica Nelson, who’s also an ambassador for Brown Folks Fishing. In Erica’s words: “Our tribes were the caretakers and protectors of the land. I hope in my travels, I’m honoring their work.”
“Instead of honoring a man who started the worst genocide in American history, let’s honor the people who have and continue to work to preserve this beautiful land. Here are five Native people you might not know about who are pushing the boundaries and standing strong for our people in the outdoor industry…
Erica Nelson, from the Navajo Tribe, currently works for National Outdoor Leadership School, a Wyoming-based non-profit that provides individuals with wilderness training and skills. She works within the marketing department with goals of building positive equitable spaces in the field with students, with her team she supervises, and with a focus on inclusion at heart in all marketing efforts. It’s imperative to her they teach upon the ancestral lands in which they train and teach on and to honor them and its people. She is currently building a more inclusive approach to fly fishing, as fishing has always been a way of life to many indigenous tribes. She’s currently working on a witty book about fish and is an ambassador for Brown Folks Fishing.”
Topics: Indigenous, Leadership Skills, News
