Virtual symposium examines racial and environmental justice in ADKs

ELIZABETHTOWN | The Adirondack Experience (ADKX) will present a three-part symposium in November as part of its Adirondacks for All: Identity & Environmental Justice in the North Country programmatic initiative. Adirondacks for All launched in June 2022 with eight virtual events that explored experiences of inequity and oppression in the Adirondacks and the ways in which those realities connect with issues of preservation, pollution, and access to land, water, and nature more broadly. The initiative is organized by Erik Reardon, a professor and scholar whose work has focused on environmental history and Native American histories in collaboration with ADKX leadership and in partnership with Adirondack Diversity Initiative (ADI), The Wild Center, and the Nature Conservancy. The series features a wide range of speakers with varying backgrounds, perspectives, and expertise, and is part of ADKX's broader commitment to engage new voices, ideas, and communities with the museum and the region. The symposium, which will be presented virtually, will kick off with a roundtable focused on reframing Adirondack history on Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m., featuring Darren Bonaparte, a cultural historian from the Akwesasne First Nation; Amy Godine, an independent scholar who has been writing and lecturing about Adirondack social history since 1989; and Paul A. Miller, an independent writer, photographer, and filmmaker who recently completed a documentary entitled "Searching for Timbuctoo," about the little-known African-American settlement in the Adirondacks. The discussion will continue on Wednesday, Nov. 2, and Friday, Nov. 4, with roundtable discussions scheduled at 7 p.m. Topics for these sessions focus on approaches to making the Adirondacks more accessible and welcoming to a wider, more diverse populace as well as policies that will ensure the ongoing preservation of the Adirondacks. The virtual Symposium is free to the public but requires advance registration on the ADKX website at theadkx.org. Tuesday, Nov. 1, 7 p.m.Reframing Adirondack History with Darren Bonaparte, Amy Godine, and Paul A. MillerHistorical accounts of the Adirondacks have long privileged Euro-American perspectives and settlement. Over the past several decades, individuals and organizations across the Adirondacks have increasingly challenged the cultural, social, and political assumptions at the foundation of these kinds of Euro-centric narratives. Through their cultural education initiatives, scholarship, writing, and filmmaking, the three featured panelists —Darren Bonaparte, Amy Godine, and Paul A. Miller — have worked to re-center the experiences of underrepresented people who have acted as forces for social, political, and cultural change in the North Country and beyond. To tell a more complete history of the Adirondacks, the narratives must embrace the experiences, perspectives, and contributions of the First People of this region, African Americans, immigrants, and Adirondackers without political visibility or power. Darren Bonaparte is a cultural historian from the Akwesasne First Nation. Amy Godine is an independent scholar who has been writing and lecturing about Adirondack social history since 1989. Paul A. Miller is an independent writer, photographer, and filmmaker who recently completed a documentary entitled "Searching for Timbuctoo," about a little-known African-American settlement in the Adirondacks. Wednesday, Nov. 2, 7 p.m.Wilderness for All with Benita Law-Diao, Stephanie Morningstar, and Annie CreeAddressing the challenges and obstacles that stand in the way of a more diverse and inclusive Adirondack Park is essential to long-term success and sustainability. There is an increasing recognition that a host of cultural, geographic, and economic barriers continue to undercut the Park's democratic commitment to "the free use of all the people for their health and pleasure." The panelists featured in this roundtable discussion have spent considerable time and energy bridging the access and equity gap, connecting Black and Indigenous youth, among others, with an environmental and cultural heritage that should transcend cultural, racial, and economic boundaries. They will share their personal journeys within the Adirondacks and discuss opportunities to move forward in more positive directions. Benita Law-Diao is a NYS Licensed Public Health Nutritionist/Dietitian, the Outdoor Afro Leader for Albany and Upstate New York, and a National Board Member of Hostelling International USA who has led efforts to encourage more people of color to participate in travel and recreation. Annie Cree is a Mohawk of Akwesasne and part of the Bear Clan who serves as the Director of Outdoor Programming for Iakwa'shatste youth fitness and Youth Coach and team trainer to a few local minor sports teams. Stephanie Morningstar is Mohawk, Oneida and of mixed European descent who serves as the Executive Director of the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust, an organization dedicated to advancing land access for BIPOC land stewards of color. Friday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.Using Policy and Preservation to Foster an Adirondacks for AllDuring this final roundtable discussion in the week-long symposium, Aaron Mair will engage state representatives and Adirondack stakeholders in a conversation that touches on the past, present, and future of the Adirondacks. Mair is currently leading the Adirondack Council's "Forever Adirondacks" campaign and formerly served as the first African-American president of the Sierra Club. Mair's passion for stewardship, preservation, and environmental justice has put him at the center of efforts to memorialize the region's African-American history and establish the Timbuctoo Summer Climate and Careers Institute, which will connect New York City youth with educational programs and green job training based in the Adirondacks. Mair will address these and other projects designed to protect Adirondacks land and water while encouraging diversity, equity, and economic opportunity. Aaron Mair is a 30-year wilderness expert, environmental justice pioneer, and former advisor to the White House's Commission for Environmental Quality for both the Clinton and Obama administrations. Mair was the first African- American president of the Sierra Club and is well-known for his work in environmental justice.

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Virtual symposium examines racial and environmental justice in ADKs

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