MARQUETTE, MI— NMU is hosting its first BIPOC—or Black, Indigenous and People of Color—Outdoors Summit and Rest Retreat next week.
The events are centered on promoting joyful and inclusive nature-based experiences through outdoor activities, skills workshops, and keynote speakers.
Shawnrece Butler is NMU’s assistant vice president for Opportunity, Empowerment and People. She says there are three main barriers that make the outdoors less inclusive than it could be:
“Financial resources is one, because a lot of activities, adventures and related gear are not cheap. The second is awareness and knowledge. There are multiple groups that help people learn about the outdoors and enjoy things they’ve never done before in community with others, but people don’t always know they exist or actively seek them out. Finally, nature has not always been a welcoming space, particularly from the historical perspective of people of color being chased through the woods or hung from trees, so the outdoors could have a legacy of fearfulness around it that has to be demystified for some groups.”
The summit will feature a number of BIPOC speakers on a number of different topics. It takes place August 4-5 on campus. The retreat follows August 6-8 at Raging River Campground.
More information is at www.nmu.edu/bipoc-outdoors.
